Escaping the 9-5: Quitting Corporate Life is not Only Okay to Do but Do-able

Escaping the 9-5: Quitting Corporate Life is not Only Okay to Do but Do-able


I want to welcome the following guest blog post from Daphne Reznik Free at 50 blog

If you would like to be a guest blogger please visit GUEST BLOGGING link for more information.

In May of 2020, I was laid off from my corporate job. No more paychecks.

While I watched our legal counsel and general manager fumble through what might’ve been their 5th or 10th layoff of the day, I didn’t care. In that moment, (or 10-15 of them), I felt myself lightening up. No more of the stress and joy-sucking experience of corporate life for me.

To be honest, I was on that high for days. I kicked it into gear for the next steps that needed attention: set up COBRA and research other healthcare options, file for unemployment, organize my financial and termination paperwork, inform everyone in my professional and personal circles… then breathe. No rush into the next step.

Realizing I hadn’t had more than a week off at a time in 30 years (and even then, I was always accessible!), I decided to breathe. Give myself a moment, many actually, to decide how I was going to evade corporate life and working for others—forever.

A now-former colleague and still-friend recommended Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Workweek to me a few weeks after the layoff. Boom! There it was in writing: I was not any kind of off-balance. The decision to leave corporate life was not only “ok” to do, but it was do-able! Possible.

Using the processes outlined in the book (loosely), I did two vital things:

  1. I figured out my financial situation. How much money do I actually need each month and how many months can I sustain before needing to earn income. Side note: you’d be surprised how little you truly need and how much of your spending is actually flexible.  Covid taught all of us that many expenses are not necessary right?
  2. I made a list of things I am passionate about and skills I’ve earned over the years. Next, I looked at ways to monetize my passions using my skills. This took some time and research, but it was all FUN. It never felt like work!

I narrowed my options to two things to focus on so I could pick one to run with. Over the summer, after filing my L.L.C., getting a federal tax identification number and opening a bank account with some seed money I budgeted, I began working with a small business owner on a short-term consulting project and I also began writing, launching my blog.

The book gave me some ideas to kickstart my journey and people gave me more.

While we were having lunch (patios were open in June!), a friend shared with me that he had a few friends that had read Ferriss’ book, quit their jobs, and were now living a life of professional freedom. I connected with one of his friends who is a successful online entrepreneur and blogger and, about 6 months later, decided to hire her for 1-on-1 coaching sessions so I have a roadmap to monetizing my blog. The blog is still young, and I have a long way to go but I am committed and have never looked back.  The small business consulting project? Completed and now I have a template to use for future projects or even for a course to sell online if I decide to go that direction.

The bottom line: my a-ha moment led me on a path to design the lifestyle I want. Grab your a-ha moment by the horns and follow your heart and your instincts. You have more skills than you realize, I promise you that, and have the power to live life in a way that makes you happy (and healthy!).

Author Bio:

Daphne Reznik is the creator of the Free at 50 blog, which focuses on life after corporate, how to transition into professional freedom and resources to create income streams.  She has a diverse background having worked in state government, small business, and most recently, a large corporate entity. Her experience supporting businesses and leading a national staff training program, provided her with a skill set she is using to design a lifestyle as a blogger and to inspire others.

Follow Daphne: https://linktr.ee/DaphneFreeAt50


BrandBacker Member

Post Disclaimer

The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. The information is provided by Escaping the 9-5: Quitting Corporate Life is not Only Okay to Do but Do-able and while we endeavor to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose. Letstakeamoment blog -Pastor Natalie is the owner and creator of the blog www.letstakeamoment.com. No one has permission to copy any content on letstakemoment.com including all social media platforms for letstakemoment.com blog. If inspired by Pastor Natalie's content and content on letstakeamoment.com you must ask for permission first before creating any content inspired by Pastor Natalie and letstakeamoment.com. Not all requests will be granted. In addition, if inspired by content and have permission you must credit and attribute Pastor Natalie and letstakeamoment.com 

You may also like

LEARNING TO MANAGE OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSES

LEARNING TO MANAGE OUR EMOTIONAL RESPONSES

The question becomes how can we learn to manage our emotional responses and not allow them to have a negative...

SOME TIPS IF YOU FIND YOURSELF PROCRASTINATING

SOME TIPS IF YOU FIND YOURSELF PROCRASTINATING

Whatever the reason we are procrastinating, first things first we must acknowledge when we are doing this. We also must...

WHAT DOES BEAUTIFUL MEAN TO YOU?

WHAT DOES BEAUTIFUL MEAN TO YOU?

There are some who may never feel beautiful or who only are looking at beauty in one way. What I...

MY THOUGHTS ON MEGACON 2024

MY THOUGHTS ON MEGACON 2024

Here we are again, time to take some moments to discuss, “My Thoughts on Megacon 2024.” This year however was...

Back to Top