Erin spent 22 years climbing the corporate ladder and climbed her way right up to the very top as CEO of PayFlex, Inc., a large healthcare financial company. As the CEO, Erin was in charge of overseeing 1000 employees and over $2bn in financial assets.  In late 2018, just when things were getting really good, Erin decided to exit the corporate world after 22 years and go down a path less traveled to start b Authentic inc.   Erin felt pulled to help create a new generation of authentic, diverse, and humble leaders. She started her own business, b Authentic Inc., where she hopes to change the face of Corporate America. Through individual and company trainings, Erin is on a mission to toss aside traditional approaches and help teach the very things that made her such a successful leader.   On this episode, we dive deep into what made Erin make the switch and how we can make the switch when we are no longer being served in our current role.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she climbed her way up the corporate ladder to become the CEO of PayFlex, Inc. How she dealt with the feeling of always wanting more and how she used that to fuel her achievements Why she walked away from her amazing CEO position How she navigated her jump with her spouse and her advice for how to get your spouse on board with your next move. Why she wanted to start her current business, b Authentic Inc., and how she hopes to shape the new generation of leaders   Where to find Erin:   Website: https://www.bauthenticinc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/bAuthenticInc https://www.instagram.com/b_authentic_inc/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-hatzikostas/ Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Jen is an all-around rockstar! She started her career as a lawyer and practiced civil litigation at a prestigious law firm. Then, she “saw the light” and left to start her own business and pursue more creative endeavors (and she’s never looked back!)   She is now the President & Founder of Jeneration PR, a Public Relations & Social Media Marketing firm specializing in promoting beauty, baby & lifestyle brands. Jen’s retainer clients range from small and mid-sized brands to multi-billion dollar publicly traded companies, and everything in between.   Jen is also the creator of the Agency Accelerator, where she teaches entrepreneurs how to launch, grow & scale a profitable PR & marketing Agency. She also recently launched Press Success, a PR Master Class for entrepreneurs to learn the step-by-step framework for executing a PR strategy that converts into massive media placements for their businesses.   She has been featured in the New York Times, Forbes, Inc.com, Business Insider, Yahoo! Finance, Entrepreneur Magazine, Huffington Post, EOFire, CBS.com, PR Week, Fox News, and PR Web sharing her expertise, and was profiled on Apple.com as an “entrepreneur on the go” using Apple products to power her business. Jennifer was also selected by Babble.com as one of the 10 “Mompreneurs Who Made it Big!”   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she got started in marketing by reaching out to a company to work for them for free How she started her PR work on the side while still working as a lawyer How she dealt with disappointing her family when she chose to quit law How she started and grew her PR agency Why she decided to add an online arm to her business How she made 6-figures in 6 months with her new online business   Where to find Jen:   Website: www.jenerationpr.com https://www.facebook.com/JenerationBuzz https://www.instagram.com/jenerationpr/ https://twitter.com/jenerationpr [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Jena is a wife and mom who taught 5th grade for 6 years until she realized that her career as a teacher no longer fit with her life.  Without knowing what she wanted to do next, she just started by putting herself out there as a virtual assistant. When one of her clients needed her to learn Pinterest management, Jena discovered her love for lead generation and Pinterest strategy. In just 2 years, Jena has created her own Pinterest-focused marketing business where she works for driven and purpose-filled online brands who want to reach more people and make more impact with their content. Her business has allowed her to replace her income while spending more time at home with her children. She thrives on providing hospitality, serving her clients through personalized attention, and loving on her husband and two beautiful daughters.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Jena left teaching even though it was a career she loved How she got started in the online space How one client’s needs led her to her current business How she has replaced her income in under 2 years Whether Pinterest is right for your business Why there is always room even in a saturated market for your service   Where to find Jena:   Website: https://www.jenaliat.com/ Freebie: https://www.jenaliat.com/pinterest-quiz Email: [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Ali Boone is a lifestyle entrepreneur real estate investor, author and speaker. Ali has literally defined non-conformity when it comes to her career. Ali left her corporate 9-to-5 job as an Aerospace Engineer, despite the “dream job” status that came with it, to follow her passion for being her own boss and creating true lifestyle design. She went from being on food stamps in her first year of entrepreneurship to facilitating over $18M in real estate transactions in her first five years of business. In addition to running her real estate investing company Hipster Investments, she’s a pilot and teaches flying and she can often be found snowboarding, hiking, or volunteering in California prisons. Her ultimate goal is to one day challenge Tim Ferriss to a lifestyle design duel.   This episode is packed with great information for anyone who wants to quit their job but has no idea what they would do next.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: What led Ali down the road to Aerospace Engineering When was the moment that she realized she didn’t want to be an Aerospace Engineer How she prepared herself to leave the corporate world Why fixing her mindset was the most important part of quitting her job How she pushed past the lows in the entrepreneurial roller coaster What her company, Hipster Investments, specializes in What Ali’s “why” is and how it guides her in her business   Where to find Ali:   Website: https://aliboone.com/ Business website: http://hipsterinvestments.com/ Social Media: @aliboonedotcom   Resources mentioned Rich Dad, Poor Dad, by Robert Kiyosaki   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

  We all care what other people think, even if we pretend like we don’t. A healthy relationship with other people’s opinions is actually needed. It teaches us what works in communities and what doesn’t. It keeps people accountable to each other. However, so many of us, myself included, let the obsession with what other people think run amok and control our whole lives. We’ve been raised to be nice and not make any waves. Especially in the corporate setting, we place value on being a team player and suppressing your own needs for the greater good. Over time, that completely hinders our lives. We play small, keep quiet and make sure that other people’s needs are met over ours. It can cause an unbearable amount of stress and sadness. Ultimately, it leads to us not living lives on our own terms. This is glaringly evident when it comes to staying in a career you hate. So much of what keeps us stuck is our fear of what other people will think or say, how our family/friends will react, how upset our spouse will be, etc. If you’re going to find the courage to go after a life you love, you first have to learn how to stop people pleasing and be your authentic self. On this week’s episode, I’m so excited to have on Dr. Aziz Gazipura to talk about his book Not Nice and how we can go about limiting these toxic tendencies we’ve picked up. Dr. Aziz is the world’s leading confidence expert. He helps people break free from hesitation, fear, and self-doubt so they can rapidly grow their businesses, become more powerful leaders, and enjoy outstanding relationships. He completed his doctoral training at Stanford and Palo Alto Universities and is the founder of the Center For Social Confidence. He has a large online following with his podcast and YouTube videos and is the author of two additional best selling books: The Solution To Social Anxiety and The Art Of Extraordinary Confidence.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why niceness isn’t rooted in goodness but rather in fear How to deal with the long view of changing your view to being more authentically yourself How to handle other people’s emotions in reaction to you speaking up for yourself Why it is necessary to be authentically yourself even if it hurts the people closest to you. How Embarrassment Inoculation can change your life   Where to find Dr. Aziz:   Website: https://www.socialconfidencecenter.com/ Twitter:  https://twitter.com/DrAzizCoach Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrAzizGazipura/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/GetMoreConfidence   Resources mentioned Dying to be Me, by Anita Moorjani Mind Over Medicine, by Dr. Lissa Rankin Do It Scared, by Scott Allan Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

You might already be familiar with Elie Mystal from his frequent appearances as a political analyst on major news shows or his considerable body of work on Above the Law and other news publications. It is often easy to look at Elie’s success and assume that he had a straight, easy path out of law into journalism. But what you may not know is that Elie walked away from his 6-figure legal job at a prestigious New York law firm, after having received his law degree from Harvard Law School, without a plan as to what to do next. With the support of his wife, and after months of sitting on his couch with no real idea of where to start, Elie began his journey to be a writer by taking a job working for free at a local news agency.   I got to talk to Elie about how he dealt with all of the pressure from family and society, especially as an African American man, to stay in a “successful” career. We discuss how his path has led him to where he is today as the Executive Editor of Above the Law.   If you’re a frequent listener of the show, then you might remember that we had David Lat, the founder of Above the Law, on episode 14. We delve more into what Above the Law has evolved into in that episode. In this episode, we focus mostly on Elie’s journey. Feel free to check out Episode 14 here.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: What lead Elie down the path to law school Why he felt that making the decision to go to law school instead of working for Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign was a “dumb” decision Why law school just wasn’t for Elie How being a “successful” lawyer as a minority put additional pressure to stay in the field How the support of his wife was essential for Elie’s decision to quit law. How he dealt with the difficult time of figuring out what his next step was going to be What his path as a journalist has looked like How he ended up winning a competition to work for Above the Law How others can break into a career in writing   Where to find Elie:   Website: www.abovethelaw.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/atlblog Twitter: https://twitter.com/ElieNYC   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Shinah is a whiskey-loving, curse-word slinging, Harvard-trained former corporate attorney who left everything behind to find her passion. Shinah spent her entire life on the straight, "proper" path. She went to an Ivy League college, then a prestigious Law School, then worked her butt off as a corporate attorney for a big international law firm. But, after one too many days of uninspiring work and nights of sleeping under her desk, she decided she wanted to reclaim her life! She quit her job and explored so many creative avenues - knitting, woodworking, drawing, graphic design. But CALLIGRAPHY is what she fell in love with. Shinah needed plenty of inspiration along the way, but the usual sugary, sincere stuff about beauty and dreams didn't reflect what she was really feeling. So she created Crooked Calligraphy to spread creativity, courage and honest, gritty life inspiration through calligraphy. Crooked Calligraphy has worked with huge brands like Disney, Anthropologie, Jo Malone, and Dom Perignon, but Shinah’s favorite work is teaching calligraphy and encouraging her students to look their fears in the face and move toward a life that will make them happy.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she spent her childhood working towards the predictable path to “success” including getting a 1600 on her SATs and getting into Harvard How affirmation and praise can become a drug that keeps you in doing things you hate How she started realizing that she wanted to quit her job as a corporate lawyer and what steps she took before quitting How she quit law without having any idea of what to do next What she did in order to figure out what her next steps would be The importance of exploration and experimentation in finding your passions How she found calligraphy and how it turned into a business How she figured out her unique brand and voice with Crooked Calligraphy   Where to find Shinah:   Website: www.crookedcalligraphy.com Instagram: @crookedcalligraphy   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

What stops a lot of people from quitting careers that they don’t like is that they don’t know what else they would do. Well, today’s guest, provides an excellent example in how to develop your passions on the side while still working in your day job.   Joanne Bourgault is a dentist based in Saskatoon, Canada. When she found herself unfulfilled with her current work, Joanne began working in the online space on the side. After dabbling in various roles, she found that she loved working as a copywriter and marketing strategist. You can now find her helping female entrepreneurs grow their businesses doing meaningful work so that they can design lives that suit them and their families - instead of settling for "average."   What I love about her journey is that she is taking the time to find what she truly loves, editing as necessary, and building her dream without having to quit her job and make dramatic changes. Her story is the perfect example of how to put in the work to give yourself a realistic escape from a job you hate. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Joanne left her career in accounting to go to dental school How working with a life coach led her to realize that she wanted to transition out of dentistry too How she experimented with different side hustles to figure out what she really liked How she dealt with talking to her husband and family about leaving dentistry How she deals with her changing identity from dentist to marketer How she finds the time to balance her full-time job, family life, and side hustle.   Where to find Joanne:   Website:  joannebourgault.com Instagram: @joanne_bourgault   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

For most of us risk-averse, type-A personalities, walking away from a multiple 6-figure career to pursue an entirely different career is a HUGE, scary step. Most can’t muster up the courage to even take that jump. But to leave such a “successful” career to just travel around the world with your family would make most of our heads explode. What if I can’t get a job when I get back? But what will we do for money? WHAT IF WE BECOME HOMELESS? You get the point. We’re crazy. Luckily, Joe Hansen is a little less neurotic than the rest of us because he did just that. He walked away from his Big Law job, making a great salary and living in San Francisco, to travel the world for a year with his wife and 2 young children. While traveling, he is pursuing his original passion of writing by working on his first novel, an apocalyptic thriller set in San Francisco. I love Joe’s story because he intentionally took this step without having everything buttoned up and planned out. As you’ll hear, he and his wife are taking one step at a time. He has back-up plans in case he needs to go back to being a lawyer but, otherwise, he’s realizing that everything is figureoutable...no matter what happens.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: What led him to law school and what his experience was like at a big law firm Why the big law firm life is not a realistic one Why he decided to travel the world for a year with two small children and how he prepared for it. How his coworkers were more supportive about his decision than Joe initially thought they would be How he’s moving through his journey without knowing exactly what he is going to do in the future Whether people can take a gap year or two and return to the law How they’re tackling world travel with 2 small children And so much more! Where to find Joe:   Website: www.backpackrugrats.com Instagram: @joseph_c_hansen Instagram: @paolabregneti Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Well, there is nothing better to start the New Year off with than an episode all about how to get financially independent so that you can do what you want! I’m so excited to have the incredible Paula Pant on the show today to do just that!! As she likes to say herself, Paula is unemployable. She quit her job more than a decade ago, has traveled to more than 40 countries and refuses to work for anyone else. She runs the website Afford Anything, which holds a community of more than 53,000 email subscribers. She's the host of the Afford Anything podcast, which has enjoyed more than 4 million downloads. Both spread the idea that you can afford anything, but not everything.   After building financial independence through real estate investing, Paula is helping people all over the world figure out how to get out of debt and create financial independence for themselves. On this episode, we get into the details of her path to early retirement and how we can all get started on our own paths. Here is what we chat about in this episode: What the FIRE movement is really about How Paula got started on her own journey to financial independence How freelancing gave her freedom to travel for over 2 years and the skills to never go back to a “job” Where the big opportunities in freelance writing are today How she built her rental property portfolio and the resources she offers her community to do the same What some possible downsides are to the FIRE movement and how to have the proper discussions to work around those issues And so much more!   Resources mentioned in this episode: Email Series on Rental Properties: www.affordanything.com/viplist Free e-book on FIRE: www.affordanything.com/escape   Where to find Paula:   Website: affordanything.com Podcast: podcast.affordanything.com Instagram: instagram.com/paulapant   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Anna Lundberg is the founder of One Step Outside, where she helps people around the world build businesses and create a lifestyle that allows them an unimagined sense of freedom, flexibility and fulfilment. But that’s not how she started her career. Like most of us, Anna began by climbing a traditional corporate ladder at Procter & Gamble as a brand manager. In her 7 years with the company, she worked on high-end fashion accounts like Dolce & Gabbana and lived a glamorous lifestyle. But after leaving for a short sabbatical, Anna realized that she didn’t want to go back. She left her career without much of a plan. Through consulting and taking on clients of her own choosing, Anna created a new business and life for herself. Since leaving her corporate job in 2013, she’s now reimagining what success looks like and she’s passionate about inspiring and supporting others to do the same. In addition to her own coaching business, Anna recently launched her own podcast, Reimagining Success.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she got the courage to leave her job How she decided what she was going to do next after leaving her job without a plan How she pushed past her “Good Girl Syndrome” to do what she really wanted to do Why you shouldn’t tell everyone about your plans to quit in the beginning Why you ultimately have to just take action The difference between the “what” and the “how” of the next step How to find the right coach for you And more... Resources mentioned in this episode: Book - http://leavingthecorporate9to5.com Where to find Anna:   Website: onestepoutside.com Facebook: facebook.com/onestepoutside Podcast - http://reimaginingsuccesspodcast.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Merry Christmas!!! Happy Holidays friends!!   Thank you so much for tuning in to the show. I can’t tell you how much it means to me! We’re almost at 6 months and already have over 10,000 downloads! I’m honestly so grateful to be able to do this podcast and I can’t thank you guys enough!!   While I usually only do interviews, I wanted to take this holiday episode to talk a little bit more about the new year and goal-setting so that hopefully you can get closer to your goal of quitting whatever is making you unhappy. Now, I know that the whole “New Year, New Me” gets a really bad wrap and people roll their eyes at resolutions. But setting goals is not the problem. Not following through is the problem. We should all be re-evaluating our lives and what we want to change all the time!   “Most people overestimate what they can do in a day, and underestimate what they can do in a month. We overestimate what we can do in a year, and underestimate what we can accomplish in a decade." This quote by Matthey Kelly sums up exactly what is wrong with how we usually set goals. We’re an impatient bunch and we want change now. But that sets you up for failure because we typically only stick to things that we can turn into habits and keep up with in the long-term.   So this year, I don’t want you to focus on what you can do in the next 2 months. I want you to focus on what you can do in the next 2 years.   I talk all about why the approach in the book, The Compound Effect, by Darren Hardy is the best way to approach goal-setting. In this book, Darren Hardy talks about how making little, small changes will completely change your life. You don’t need to lose 20lbs in a month. You need to cut 100 calories every day. And over time, that 100 calories will transform the way you look, feel, and act.   Make sure to check out the whole episode before you start writing your goals!   We’ll be back next week with an all-new interview episode! Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

At this point, we’ve all heard about digital nomads and remote living. There is a huge movement of people who are forgoing the traditional lifestyle in exchange for freedom and travel. But, because of the rise in popularity, there is a huge framework built around the digital nomad lifestyle with freelance websites, co-working spaces, shared housing, blogs, books, etc.   Just 4 years ago, the digital nomadic lifestyle was in its infancy and there wasn’t a ton of resources providing guidance on how to navigate it. It was even trickier for families who wanted to travel with small children to figure out all the logistics.   But that did not stop Daniel Prince. After ‘enduring’ an 18 year career in Finance, Daniel recreated his life by leaving the corporate world to travel the globe with his young family (4 small children!!) via the sharing economy.   His popular blog ‘Princes Off The Grid’ drew attention from the global press leading to his appearing in many newspapers, magazines, award winning blogs and interviewed on Podcasts.   After his own experience, he wrote the book “Choose Life” to inspire other people to follow in his footsteps to adapt, create and lead a more fulfilling lifestyle.   An advocate of the sharing and gig economy, Daniel is an investor and startup advisor focusing mainly on businesses that seek to disrupt legacy business practices. Daniel is also part of a team building Zyngel, a social impact platform that aims to help businesses grow by offering the opportunity to connect with highly qualified, experienced and skilled professionals. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How his career led him to Singapore How the 4-hour Workweek by Tim Feriss changed his life Why Daniel and his wife, Claire, wanted to pick up and travel the world with 4 kids How he got over the fear of leaving everything to pursue a dream How he figured out how to create a living on the road Why they decided to finally settle down in France and what the future looks like How meditation helped Daniel quiet the critical voice in his head to push through the doubts What his new startup, Zyngel, is all about.   Resources mentioned in this episode: 4-Hour Workweek, by Tim Feriss Ted Talk by Choose Life, by Daniel Prince www.Zyngel.com Where to find Daniel: Instagram: @76Princey Twitter:  @princey1976 Website: www.princesoffthegrid.weebly.com Email: [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

If you’ve listened to the podcast, you’ve heard me say (a million times) that you can make a living doing what you want if you take the time to think outside of the box and take advantage of the resources on the internet. Well, my guest Kelly Nugent is the perfect example of someone who did that (and basically proves me right...so there).   Kelly Nugent is an actor, voice actor, comedian, internet nerd thing doer, and lady of too many podcasts! She can be found doing nerd stuff on Saving Throw Show and HyperRPG. She hosts the podcasts Teen Creeps, Public Domain Theater, Same Day Shipping, and Thank You For Questing! She also loves cheese and cats.   What I love about Kelly’s story is that when Kelly wanted to quit law in order to jump into the world of comedy, she didn’t just try to go the traditional route by finding an agent and going to auditions etc etc. She started doing voice acting, created podcasts, worked on shows on different platforms like Twitch. Basically, she figured out a way to make a living doing creative, fun things she loved instead of waiting for her “big break.” Her story offers the perfect example of how to turn your passions into a career.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why she went to law school and continued on even though she didn’t like it How listening to podcasts sparked her own interest in jumping into the world of acting and comedy How she turned acting into a career through voice acting, podcasts, and Twitch How those non-traditional roles led her to getting more traditional gigs What Twitch is and how she got involved with that platform How you can turn your hobbies and interests into podcasts and other paying gigs   Where to find Kelly: Instagram/Twitter: @kellynugee Website: https://www.kellyknugent.com/   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Today we have our first novelist on the show!! Mamta Jain Valderrama received her bachelor's degree in journalism and worked as a healthcare reporter. She went on to get her MBA from USC where she was considering starting a company based on medical tourism. But in her research, she realized the huge issue with black market organ trafficking schemes and realized that she couldn’t contribute to such an industry ethically. After working in corporate life for many years, Mamta left 5+ years ago to pursue her dream to write. Her debut novel, A Girl In Traffick, is an Amazon bestseller that chronicles a story of human kidney trafficking.   After writing her novel, Mamta was also thrown into the world of international PR in order to get publicity for her novel. Realizing that she actually loved that aspect of the work, Mamta now offers PR services to authors and small business owners. She is also in plans to write her second novel.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How she made a decision to leave the corporate world to write her novel Why she felt compelled to tell the story of human organ trafficking How she got through the low moments in writing How she learned to do her own PR for the book How doing her own PR led her to freelancing as a PR agent How to get started in publishing   Resources mentioned in this episode: A Girl in Traffic, by Mamta Jain Valderrama   Where to find Mamta: Instagram/Facebook: @mjvaldy Website:  www.mamtajainvalderrama.com Email: [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Ep. 22:  Lawyer & Interior Stylist- How Sara Rezvanpour Rose created her dream job as Creative Counsel at the Jungalow   Have you ever felt like you want something more but you don’t know what you should do? Well, if so, this is the episode for you! Sara Rezvanpour Rose is a unicorn full of inspiration and provides so much wisdom for anyone stuck in a career they hate. Though she may not know it, her own path provides such clear guidance for how to approach finding your next gig. It includes: perseverance, hustle, creativity, courage, humility, and faith in yourself.   Sara is a graduate of UC Berkeley Law School and a former big law attorney. After being laid-off during a merger, Sara left big law to join her brother’s small private practice law firm where she honed her entrepreneurial skills as well as her legal chops. However, after a couple of years, Sara still found herself unsatisfied in the grey world of the law. She quit, without having a plan, to find a career with more creativity.   After deciding that she wanted to be in the interior design space, Sara reached out to people in the industry, worked for free, and hustled her way into a dream internship with renowned interior designer, Justina Blackeney. From that internship, Sara created her own dream position at Justina’s business, Jungalow.   Sara is now Creative Counsel at Jungalow, a bohemian lifestyle brand & home decor online shop. She left the gray world of law in search of color, creativity, and a place where she could be her wild self! Now she spends her days creating spaces that she hopes inspire a sense of magic in people’s hearts & homes. She also negotiates contracts, and still does lawyerly things but in a much more fun & chill setting.     Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why she felt morally obligated to go to law school Why she felt like she didn’t belong in law school How she ultimately decided to walk away from a traditional law practice How she figured out what her next step would be after law How she hustled her way into her dream job at Jungalow How she now spends her days doing part legal work and part interior design.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert Magic Lessons, by Elizabeth Gilbert   Where to find Sara: Instagram: @sararezrose Jungalow Instagram: @thejungalow Website: shop.jungalow.com   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Happy Thanksgiving, folks! This week we're going to do something a little different and, instead of an interview, I'm doing a solo episode. We'll be back with another inspiring interview next week.  I wanted to take this week, because of Thanksgiving, and talk about how a gratitude practice is the easiest way to change your life. That might sound like hyperbole or exaggeration but it's not.  Now before you roll your eyes and think I'm trying to sell you some woo-woo magic, there are decades of scientific studies that show how a simple gratitude practice can:  - Create stronger relationships - Strengthen your immune system  - Increase your enthusiasm, optimism, and alertness - etc, etc, etc.  Why does gratitude work so well? Glad you asked.  1) It fundamentally changes your perspective. You can see the silver lining in most situations which helps you bounce back after setbacks much faster.  2) It is impossible to feel anger/fear and gratitude at the same time.  3) It helps you enjoy the journey and not just look forward to the destination. 4) It makes you a more pleasant person and creates stronger relationships.  So if you want to change your life in 5 minutes every day, take a listen! Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Drew Morgan is a stand-up comic, writer and actor.. Drew and his two comedy partners, Trae Crowder and Corey Forrester, wrote the Liberal Redneck Manifesto and tour the country for their WellRED comedy tour. His comedy draws upon his upbringing in rural East Tennessee as well as his experiences living in Australia, Boston, Miami, and New York.   But before becoming a comedian, Drew was a public defender in both Miami and Knoxville, Tennessee. I got to talk to him about how his upbringing in a rural Southern town influenced his decision to go to law school and why he ultimately left the law to pursue his dreams.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How his upbringing in rural Tennessee affected his decision to go to law school. How his path led him to be a public defender in both Miami, Florida and Knoxville, Tennessee How his wife got him started in comedy by signing him up for a competition How he supported his dream of stand-up comedy by working as a freelance attorney doing document review How years of hard work finally led him and his writing partners, Trae Crowder and Corey Forrester, to become “overnight successes” The journey to the WellRED comedy tour and the Liberal Redneck Manifesto And why it’s worth pursuing your dreams even if it’s difficult   Where to find Drew: Website: http://www.wellredcomedy.com Twitter/Instagram: @drewmorgcomedy   Facebook: @drewmorgan     Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

As Inc. reported, “ISAAC  LIDSKY may possess the most eclectic resume in business.” Series regular “Weasel” on Saved by the Bell: The New Class, he graduated from Harvard College at 19 (cum laude) and from Harvard Law School (magna  cum laude); served as a Supreme Court law Clerk (to two Justices); was a Justice Department litigator (undefeated); and worked for an elite international law firm. He had a legal resume that most lawyers could only dream of. But after having his triplets, who required over 70 days in the NICU, Isaac re-evaluated what he wanted out of his life. He left the law to buy a failing construction subcontractor in order to try his hand out at entrepreneurship.   Though originally the jump seemed to be a failure, Isaac turned the company into a highly profitable construction services company (ten times larger) that now boasts annual revenue over $250 million.  I got to talk to Isaac about how he was able to walk away from law, after building such a prestigious career, to follow a path more true to himself.   Isaac credits his experience going blind in his early twenties from a rare genetic disease as being the reason he is able to create his own reality and live Eyes Wide Open. He gave a main stage TED Talk on the subject of living Eyes Wide Open that was viewed more than a million times in its first three weeks. He also has a book by the same name, “Eyes Wide Open”, that is a New York Times, USA Today and Indie bestseller, and was named one of the Washington Post’s top 10 leadership books to read in 2017.   I got to find out what it means to live Eyes Wide Open and how we can all strive to live that way. I’m endlessly inspired by Isaac and hope to live my own life with Eyes Wide Open.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why he walked away from the glamour of Hollywood after finding success on Saved By the Bell: The New Class. How he dealt with being diagnosed with a rare genetic disease as a teenager, knowing that he was going to go blind. How going blind taught him about the subjectivity of sight and how we create our own reality How fear replaces the unknown with the awful and how it keeps us stuck Why Isaac left the law, after an incredibly prestigious career, to run a construction company How he determined what was important in his life and how that changed his decision-making process How we can all live our lives Eyes Wide Open   Resources mentioned in this episode: Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl Where to find Isaac: Website: www.lidsky.com Twitter/Instagram/Facebook: @isaaclidsky Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Matt & Alli were both working as engineers, hating their jobs, and yearning for more freedom when they learned about the FIRE community (Financial Independence Retire Early). The premise of FIRE is to focus on reducing spending and increasing investments with the goal of living off those investments and, thus, not having to work anymore. The idea is that you buy your freedom instead of buying things. Matt & Alli started saving up to 70% of their 6-figure salaries and within 3 years quit to work on the 2 online businesses they had created.   In addition to quitting, they converted a sprinter van (they named Clifford) and started driving across the Americas and running their businesses from the road. They balance their time between helping millennials get out of debt through their coaching services and education programs at Owen Your Future and helping people treat themselves on the keto diet through their baked goods company Primal Noms.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How they realized that they didn’t want to just change jobs that they hated but completely change their lifestyles. How they learned about the FIRE movement and started on their journey to saving. How they dealt with other people’s opinions of their decisions What is the 4% rule? How they started their 2 side hustle businesses How they decided to quit their 6-figure jobs to travel the country The best and worst parts of traveling in a van How to be a part of FIRE even if you want to live off of a higher salary every year How Alli & Matt help millennials deal with their debt and budgeting How you can be a part of their live webinar on financial planning!   Resources mentioned in this episode: https://www.physicianonfire.com/ https://earlyretirementnow.com/ https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/ Where to find : Webinar: ownyourdebtcourse.com/webinar Website: ownyourdebtcourse.com   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

We’ve all heard various versions of the same story: Someone experiences a life-threatening illness or near-death experience which immediately puts into perspective what is actually important in life. That person shakes up their life and starts pursuing a more fulfilling path. But why is it that we have to experience horrible things before we can find such clarity? Or as Christine McAlister puts it “Who has to die for you to give yourself permission to live for yourself?”   Christine suffered her own tragedy when, at 9 months pregnant, her daughter Maeve passed away. Christine was forced to deliver her child and then plan a funeral, an unthinkable experience that many would not be able to overcome. But Christine used her grief and experience to stop playing small and figure out how to make the most out of life. That led her away from her successful online marketing business and into starting a business coaching program called Life with Passion. She helps high-achievers all over the world to replace their incomes (and then some!) and quit and stay out of their 9-5s, by building businesses out of their passions.   Christine also uses her own experience with tragedy to help her clients focus in on what is actually important. As if that wasn’t enough, she is the bestselling author of The Income Replacement Formula: Seven Simple Steps To Doing What You Love And Making Six Figures From Anywhere.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Christine got out of her 9-5 job with a side hustle (and how she even figured out how to start a side hustle) How her side hustle became her full-time business and how that led to even more businesses How the death of her baby when she was 9 months pregnant led her to quit her businesses and find her true calling by opening Life With Passion. How she managed to get out from under the grief and take action to create the life she wanted How she uses Life With Passion to help other women entrepreneurs find their passions and make a business out of it. How to find what your true passions are if you’re feeling stuck in your career. How the power of just making the decision to act is the very first step. Resources mentioned in this episode: The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks   Where to find Christine: Website: lifewithpassion.com/freechapter Instagram: www.instagram.com/lifewpassion Facebook: www.facebook.com/lifewpassion   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Today’s conversation with Ann Masciarotte is so important!! On this podcast, I’ve talked a lot about the fact that in today’s world, with the internet, you can really create a business out of anything you are passionate about. Literally, you can find someone that is making money around a topic that you love. You just have to think outside of the box.   And that is why I love what Ann is doing! Ann is the Chief Curator and President of the Whitney George Collection, an art advisory firm that she established after leaving a decades-long career as a strategy consultant and product manager. The Whitney George Collection was born of Ann's belief that fine art doesn't have to be intimidating, and that it should be a prominent part of every home, office, commercial and public space. Through her work with The Collection, Ann collaborates with home- and business-owners, and residential and commercial interior designers to curate and source artwork that personalizes and elevates their interior spaces. As a lifelong art collector who comes from a family of artists, Ann loves sharing with and educating others on the joys of buying and living with original art.   The Whitney George Collection is primarily focused on promoting standout art and artists who have a unique, dynamic, and intriguing, yet accessible, style and point of view. Ann and the team at The Collection pride themselves on being able to work with nearly any budget, because there is plenty of phenomenal art in the world that doesn't come with a blue chip price tag. The Collection also believes in supporting and promoting living artists, who contribute to a richer social fabric within their local and global communities. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Ann made the jump from consultant/project manager to business owner How having kids changed her perspective and led her to want to start her own business How she originally went the safe route and tried to start her own consultancy but quickly realized that her heart wasn’t in it How she realized that she might be able to start a business around her passion for art How she structured the business model for her art business Why you just have to start and realize that you’ll just figure it out along the way. Practical advice about how anybody can buy authentic art for their homes Where to find Ann: Website: www.whitneygeorgecollection.com Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/wgfineart Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

So many of the people that I talk to that feel stuck and want to quit have the same fear: What if I quit this stable career and the next thing I try doesn’t work out? Or, even if it does work out, what if I don’t like that career either? It seems like staying in what you know, even if you are unhappy, is a better decision.   Well, that is why I’m so excited to have the inspiring Lauretta Ihonor on the show today. Lauretta didn’t quit one, or two, careers. She has quit 5 different careers in order to find her true passion and lead a life she loves.   Lauretta started her professional life as a medical doctor after graduating from University College London in 2008. After working as a junior doctor at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London for a year, she left medicine to find a career that felt better suited to her. This turned into an almost decade-long journey, that involved four degrees, five career changes and six careers (including working as a fashion stylist for Net a Porter, and as a TV journalist/producer for the BBC and CNN International). After noticing the lack of support for career changers in the UK, she founded The Ambition Plan - a digital career change platform for ambitious women who are eager to do fulfilling work, but unsure of what they truly want to do with their lives - in May 2018. The Ambition Plan now provides career clarity coaching, masterclasses and online expert-led resources to help women across the globe get clear about what they want to do with their lives and create a plan for doing so.   Lauretta’s journey is a testament to the fact that you don’t have to have it all figured out. Once you take that first jump, you gain the courage and confidence to know that you’ll figure it out. And you also realize that you never have to settle, no matter how many jumps it takes.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Lauretta walked away from being a doctor, even when her supervisors thought she needed a psychological evaluation for deciding to leave. How she went on a decade long journey, including working in fashion, journalism, and nutritional consulting, to find her true passion.   Why Lauretta feels that she is luckier than most people. How a career coach was pivotal in helping her gain the clarity she needed to find her calling Why she developed The Ambition Plan and where she hopes to take it. Why you should never make a decision from a place of fear   Resources mentioned in this episode: The 4 Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss Alchemist, Paulo Coelho Mind Valley, Christie Marie Sheldon.   Where to find Lauretta: Website: theambitionplan.com Instagram: instagram.com/theambitionplan Twitter: twitter.com/theambitionplan Facebook: facebook.com/theambitionplan Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/theambitionplan   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

I cannot tell you guys how excited I am to have David Lat on the show! My lawyer friends will understand but to give my non-lawyer friends a bit more background, David is the editor at large and founder of Above the Law, an award-winning website about the legal profession that reaches more than 1 million unique visitors a month.   But that doesn’t really grasp the magnitude of what David has helped to create. Above the Law is THE website for anyone that works within the legal field. They cover everything from the Supreme Court decisions to what bonuses will be each year at various law firms. They have an undeniable influence on many things that happen in the legal field simply by shining a light on it.   But in order to start Above the Law, David had to leave behind his practice as an attorney. Before entering the media world, David worked as a federal prosecutor in Newark, New Jersey; a litigation associate at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, in New York; and a law clerk to Judge Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. David graduated from Harvard College and Yale Law School, where he served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal.   Prior to Above the Law, he launched Underneath Their Robes, a blog about federal judges. David’s writing has also appeared in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post, among other publications.   David first book, Supreme Ambitions: A Novel, was published in 2014.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why David started his first blog, Underneath Their Robes, anonymously. What happened after David’s identity as the blogger behind Underneath Their Robes was discovered. Why he walked away from a prestigious legal career to pursue blogging. How he came up with the idea for Above the Law and how he got it off the ground How Above the Law has grown over the last 12 years Why David stepped down as managing editor of Above the Law and what he is up to now.   Where to find David: www.abovethelaw.com www.twitter.com/davidlat [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast  

Ep. 13: How to grow any business on Instagram with Tyler J. McCall   I want this podcast to not just be inspirational stories about how people made the big leap (though I do love those episodes) but also practical resources to help you make the big leap too. And there is no resource that can help you to build and grow a business, side hustle, passion project more than social media - specifically, Instagram.   Enter the guru himself, Mr. Tyler J. McCall. Tyler J. McCall is an Instagram and social media marketer, strategist, and coach for creatives and online business owners. He teaches his students how to use Instagram with intention to grow their community online and grow their business. Tyler focuses on using Instagram and social media to tell stories, build relationships, and convert followers to fans, drawing from his 10 years of experience in non-profit marketing and management and community organizing. He’s taught thousands of entrepreneurs and managed dozens of Instagram accounts since getting into the online marketing game in 2015.   This episode is full of great insight and action steps for how to grow your business on Instagram.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How you can use Instagram for your traditional business (think law practice, dental office, etc) How to use Instagram to start a side hustle and literally sell anything How to get over your uncomfortable thoughts about putting yourself out there on Instagram. Best practices for your Instagram page And much more!   Where to find Tyler: Instagram | www.instagram.com/tylerjmccall Facebook | www.facebook.com/tylerjmccall Facebook Group | www.tylerjmccall.com/group Follower to Fan Society | www.followertofansociety.com Tyler J. McCall | www.tylerjmccall.com   Follow along for more: Website | www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter Instagram| https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ Twitter | https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Today we had our first professional athlete! Nick J. Murphy started out his career as a punter in the NFL until 2005. After leaving the NFL and finding a void in the job application process, Nick jumped into entrepreneurship by creating workblast.com, a startup focused on bringing video resumes to the job site world. After 4 grueling years, Nick and his partner closed down the company and Nick found himself back to square one. He ultimately went into the corporate world and ended up successfully climbing the ladder at 3 of the world’s largest job sites: CareerBuilder, Monder, and Indeed. And while he found stability and a large paycheck, Nick was unfulfilled in his role. He quit in order to give entrepreneurship another shot. He is currently the Founder and CEO of Mid-America Careers, a career website focused on the Midwest. Nick is also a Transformation Strategist, host of the Job Lab Podcast, speaker, frequent media contributor, and father of five. His insights have been featured in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Inc.com, Yahoo!, Business Insider and many more Today we got to talk to Nick about how he was able to let go of the identity that was wrapped up with being an NFL player, how he came back from bankruptcy, and why staying at a high-paying job that you are not fulfilled in is just not worth it. Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Nick dealt with the difficulty of leaving the NFL How he got the idea and funding for his first startup How he dealt the failure of that startup His journey climbing the corporate ladder Why he decided to risk it all to start another company Why he thinks 85% of people are unhappy in their jobs And why you should just go for it... Resources mentioned in this episode: Tim Ferriss’s Fear Setting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=5J6jAC6XxAI Gary Keller, The One Thing Greg, McKeown, Essentialism W. Chan Kim, Blue Ocean Strategy Where to find Nick: https://www.nickjmurphy.com https://www.facebook.com/njmstrategy https://www.instagram.com/nick_j_murphy https://www.thejoblab.com Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com https://www.facebook.com/lessonsfromaquitter https://www.instagram.com/lessonsfromaquitter/ https://twitter.com/quitterpodcast

Pleasance Silicki has had 2 major career transitions. But as you’ll see from the interview today, each career she’s had has put her on the path to the next thing. So what was her journey? Well, Pleasance received her Masters in Education from the University of Pennsylvania and worked as a teacher, and then a principal, of urban elementary schools. After already feeling burned out from the job, a school shooting prompted Pleasance to leave her position.   She went on to follow her passion for yoga and opened up numerous yoga studios around the DC area. After running those studios successfully for a number of years, circumstances outside of her control led her to close them down.   Pleasance is now an author, teacher, speaker, podcaster, mentor, creator, and magic-maker. She is the founder of Thrive, an online self-care class and community. She also facilitates Stress Management and Self-Care workshops and retreats to a variety of groups and does one-on-one private mentorships based on Ayurvedic, Buddhist, and positive psychology teachings. Pleasance is also the author of Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy And Ease and the host of the Soulful SelfCare Sessions Podcast.   I got to talk to Pleasance about how each stage in her life and each step on her journey led her to the next thing, the lessons she’s learned from pivoting numerous times, and how she approaches her career today.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why she wanted to become a elementary school teacher How she became a principal at a Charter School How a school shooting changed the course of her career How she got a dream job at Lululemon Why it is so important to take baby steps and not worry about the end goal How she ended up opening numerous yoga studios around DC The lessons she learned from having to close down those studios How she has evolved her career into consulting, mentorship, and teaching the spiritual practices founded on Ayurveda, Buddhism, yoga, and positive psychology.   Resources mentioned in this episode: Body of Work, by Pamela Slim Delight: 8 Principles for Living with Joy And Ease, Pleasance Silicki Book Recommendations   Where to find Pleasance: Soulful Selfcare Sessions [email protected] www.instagram.com/lilommyoga Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter  

Today we got to talk to Steve about how he made the jump from systems engineer in IT to being a therapist.   Steve McCready got his BA from Brown University in American Studies. After graduating and not knowing what he wanted to do, Steve focused on his interest in computers and forged a career in IT. He climbed the corporate ladder as a systems engineer but became frustrated that he wasn’t actually helping his customers. After his own personal experience in therapy, Steve realized that his passion truly lied in helping people on a one-on-one basis through counseling. He returned to school at the University of San Francisco to get his master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. And now, for over 15 years, Steve McCready has been working as a therapist, focusing his practice on helping people who are ‘too nice’ get the clarity, courage, and confidence they need to stand up for themselves and live happy, successful, and fulfilling lives.   Today we talked to Steve about how he figured out what he would do next when he wanted to leave his career in IT, how he pushed back the false narratives he created about himself, and how we can get better at literally anything that interests us.     Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Steve felt unfulfilled in his role as a systems engineer even though he is interested in computers and electronics How he moved past the negative internal voices that told him he couldn’t do anything else How therapy helped him personally and also exposed him to a new career path How changing a career when you’re a little older can be a huge benefit How to get over the stories we have created about ourselves What the difference between therapy and coaching is How we can get better at any endeavor if we just work at it.     Resources mentioned in this episode: Dead Poets Society   Where to find Steve: www.stevemccready.com [email protected] www.limbicvisions.com   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter

Laurie Rowen received her law degree from USD Law in 2004 and went on to have a successful career as a litigator at the prestigious firm of Snell & Wilmer. After having her first daughter, Laurie quit her job to work as a freelance attorney on her own schedule. Her decision coincided with the market crash of 2008 and Laurie realized that there was a huge opportunity to make freelance legal work more accessible. With her business partner, Laurie co-founded Montage Legal Group, a nationwide network of experienced freelance lawyers who work remotely on a project basis for law firms that need help with overflow and specialty areas of law. Montage Legal Group has been featured in numerous publications including ABA Journal and Forbes.com and Laurie has received numerous awards National Association of Women Business Owner’s Entrepreneur to Watch and OC metro magazine’s 40 under 40.   Today we talked to Laurie about how she disrupted a profession that is resistant to change, how she scaled a business with no experience and how to start looking for your next jump before quitting your career.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Laurie quit her career as a litigator in a big law firm to do freelance work How her own freelance career led her to see a much bigger opportunity How she started a nationwide network for freelance attorneys with zero business experience Her advice on whether you should find a partner when starting a business How to figure out what your next step should be   Resources mentioned in this episode: 21 Days of Resilience, by Dr. Zelana Montminy   Where to find Jenny: www.montagelegal.com [email protected]   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter

Maria Granovsky knows exactly what it takes to quit and start something new because she quit her profession not once but twice! Maria got her Ph.D. in medical and molecular genetics from the University of Toronto. During her post-doc training, she decided not to go down the path as a scientist but rather pursue her lifelong interest in the law. She received her law degree from Georgetown University and went on to work as a patent litigator for over 10 years.   During that time, Maria took some time away from the law to write and sell a novel. Ultimately, though, she decided to return to law for a couple more years. Maria delved into marketing courses in order to help with business development of her own law practice. She quickly began helping other lawyer friends with business development for their law practices as well. She realized that she had a knack for marketing and really enjoyed this aspect of the business. About a year and half ago, Maria quit her legal practice in order to start her own business helping other lawyers with marketing and business development.   Today we talk to Maria about how she navigated these various career pivots and what she has learned from them.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How graduate school can be the path of least resistance Why Maria took time away from law to write a novel and ultimately decided to go back to law How her experience with business development in her own legal practice led her to start her marketing and coaching business. How she moved past having her identity tied up with being a lawyer Why it makes sense to start a new business that is tangentially related to your career Why everyone has to learn marketing and business development regardless of their field   Why networking is like a negotiation and how you can make it work for you   Resources mentioned in this episode: Pivot, by Jenny Blake   Where to find Maria: www.mariagranovsky.com Linkedin: @mariagranovsky Twitter: @mgranovsky   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter

Jenny Berk received her Master’s degree in Psychology and Education and is a Certified Eating Psychology Coach, Body Image Mentor, International Speaker, and best selling author of the new release The Body Image Blueprint. Prior to starting her coaching program, Jenny worked for over 13 years as a health educator for a weight management company. While she loved helping people with their issues surrounding food and body image, Jenny was against the company’s aggressive tactics. Wanting to utilize her background in Psychology in order to heal people’s relationships with food rather than focus on weight loss, Jenny went on to get certificates from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating and Mindfulness-based Eatingness Awareness training.  In 2015, she quit her job in order to start her own coaching program where she specializes in unique binge eating cessation techniques and mindful eating practices.   Today we get to talk to Jenny about how to create a career on your own terms, how to overcome imposter syndrome and how small steps make all the difference.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: How Jenny started working for a weight management company Why her own issues with dieting made her feel like an imposter How she started noticing the problems with the tactics being used by her employer How she had her awakening that she needed to leave How she got her gentle push to leave her company How she created her coaching business to fit her life   Where to find Jenny: www.jennyedencoaching.com Facebook Group   Follow along for more: www.lessonsfromaquitter.com Facebook Instagram Twitter

I love this conversation with Pye! It was such a raw and in-depth conversation about the illusion of stability, the origin of most people’s fears, and the importance of developing a learning mindset.   What is so fascinating about Pye’s journey is not just that he jumped from being a CPA to becoming a founder of an award-winning, multi-million dollar photography studio, it’s that he did that without having a passion for or knowing the first thing about photography.   Like most of us, Pye started going down the traditional path. He became a CPA and worked for Ernst & Young before realizing that he did not like what he was doing. He quit, along with his two best friends Justin and Chris, in order to start a tech startup. When the funding for their startup fell through, the friends took on web development clients. One of their clients needed photographs taken and Pye assured them that they had a photography department that could take care of it!   What I love about his story is that most people would not only shirk at taking on a task that they don’t know how to do but also avoid a “creative” profession that they are not skilled in. Pye, realizing that photography was a skill that could be acquired, looked at entering the wedding photography industry as a business and not a passion.   That eye towards business has led Pye, and his partners, to create Lin and Jirsa Photography, a boutique Southern California wedding and portrait photography studio composed of an incredible creative team of 50 people that shoots over 300 weddings each year, with nearly 1,000 yearly client commissions. He is also a founder and partner in SLR Lounge, a premium educational community geared towards providing photographers with real-world shoot education with nearly a million monthly readers.   What You’ll Learn in this Episode: My experience with launching this podcast! Specifically, how taking a risk in my own life led me to realize the opportunity in doing so. The breaking point that led Pye to quit his job and take a risk on himself How failed attempts at funding projects and business ventures became opportunities for exploration, self-discovery, and ultimately, success How he created a multi-million dollar business in photography with a positive “learning mindset” Why Pye has a “passionate dislike” of the word “stable” and the illusion it creates Where Pye believes most fear comes from and why it limits your opportunities and potential How developing a “Learning Mindset” allowed Pye to turn quitting and “failing” into growth, opportunity, and success   Resources from the Show: Visit Lin and  Jirsa Photography and explore his phenomenal photo blog. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King, ebook Listen to more inspiring quitters on my webpage! Where to find  Pye Jirsa: Instagram: @pyejirsa Photography Instagram: @linandjirsa SLR Lounge Instagram: @slrlounge     If you were inspired by this episode of  “Lessons from a Quitter” with Pye Jirsa, I know you will find inspiration in other lessons from quitters on my website.  Enjoy listening!  

We had such an interesting conversation with Melissa Wolak about how you can take all of the skills from your career and turn it into a business that you love. What is even more helpful is that Melissa shows us how to take baby steps from an employee to a side hustle to a full solopreneur business. For a lot of us, this journey is a lot more palatable than storming the island and burning the ships.   Melissa Wolak has a Master’s degree in Communication Disorders and spent 20 years working as a speech-language cognitive therapist in hospital settings. Throughout that time, Melissa became disillusioned with the lack of a holistic approach to treating patients, especially those with traumatic brain injuries. She began training in mindfulness techniques but was not allowed to use her new skills on existing patients. That restriction prompted her to begin seeing clients outside of her regular job. Slowly, her consulting career moved from just patients to helping action-oriented people achieve their goals. In 2016, she quit her job to pursue her private practice as a transformational and mindset coach and speaker full-time. Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Melissa wanted to become a Speech and Language Cognitive Therapist How having her daughter changed her perspective How she started learning more about mindfulness and how that changed the way she approached her work   How she started her side hustle while still working at her job What happened since she moved on to her own business How she manages doing work as a Cognitive Therapist and a Mindfulness and Transformational Coach. How she grew her business to replace her old salary Resources mentioned in the episode: Gay Hendricks, The Big Leap Jen Sincero, You Are A Badass Simon Sinek, Start with Why Brene Brown Where to find Melissa: https://melissawolak.com/

We got the chance to talk to the inspiring Sarah Williams about her incredible journey and all the exciting things she is doing.   After working in finance for 8 years, Sarah quit her city job and spent 18 months travelling the world, climbing Kilimanjaro, backpacking around South America and doing a ski season. When she returned, she started Tough Girl Challenges- a blog, podcast and tribe dedicated to motivating and inspiring women and girls. Through her Tough Girl Podcast, Sarah interviews inspirational female explorers, adventurers, athletes and everyday women who have overcome great challenges. She also uses the website and community to chronicle a yearly Tough Girl Challenge of her own. In 2016, she completed the Marathon des Sables (156 mi) and, in 2017, she hiked the Appalachian Trail (2,190 miles) in 100 days! Her 2018 challenge will be to cycle the over 4,000 km of the Pacific Coast Highway from Vancouver to the Baja Divide starting this September!  As if that wasn’t enough, Sarah is also studying for her Masters in Women & Gender studies at Lancaster University.   What we chat about in the episode How she got into finance and why she kept climbing the corporate ladder How she realized that she was miserable and needed a change How she planned for quitting How she jumped without knowing what she wanted to do and how that affected her mindset How she traveled for 18 months without a plan and figured it out along the way How the idea of Tough Girl Challenges came about and how she started it What Tough Girl Challenges is all about and what her yearly challenges include Why she decided that she needed to have a Masters in Women & Gender Equality because of her platform How she monetizes her work through Tough Girl Challenges   Resources Mentioned in the episode: Patreon.com   How to reach out to Sarah: www.toughgirlchallenges.com

Erin received her law degree from UC Berkeley in 2008 and worked as a lawyer for one year before she was fired. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Erin decided to take a leap of faith and pour her life savings into creating a restaurant dedicated to the best food on earth: mac and cheese. Erin is the Founder and CEO of Homeroom. Homeroom has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, USA Today, Food Network, Travel Channel, Cooking Channel, and other national media outlets.   Homeroom now has over 100 employees and has also received numerous awards for its people-first business practices. Erin authored the best-selling “Mac and Cheese Cookbook,” and business articles for Conscious Company Magazine and the Washington Post.   Here is what we chat about in this episode: Why Erin went to law school even though she had wanted to open a cupcake shop What happened after Erin was fired from her firm How she used her entire life saving to open up a restaurant with virtually no experience in this field. How she found herself unhappy after 5 years in her dream job and what she did to fix it. What Homeroom is doing now to create more female partners in the restaurant industry and how they’re sharing their successful anti-harassment training policy. Resources Mentioned in the Podcast Clayton M. Christensen, “How Will You Measure Your Life” Erin Wade, I’m a female chef. Here’s how my restaurant dealt with harassment from customers. The Washington Post. Where to find Erin https://homeroom510.com/