Corporate School Dropout: Inspiring Stories of Ditching the 9 to 5

Jessica Potts, of Brand X Consultants, was launching million dollar brands and loving life until she wasn’t. Like most Corporate School Dropouts, Jessica found that her work life no longer aligned with the life she desired. She knew she needed to make some changes to find a better fit to suit her needs, so Jessica took a vacation and soon after partnered up to form Brand X Consultants. Jessica discusses how her core values guide her and her business.

Linda Denise, the founder of Linda Denise Coaching, spent the majority of her career in large Fortune25 companies. She even went back to school, became a lawyer, and moved into the legal department of the same company. At the age of 54, Linda decided she couldn’t sit at her desk any longer. Linda knew she wanted something more, but at that time, she didn’t exactly know what that was going to be.

Sarah Ferrence, founder of Mod.Merchant and host of The Designer CEO podcast began her corporate career in an executive training program and quickly found herself wrapped up in a merger. Sarah stuck out the merger and moved 900 miles to stay with the company in a desirable position. After several years of working with Fortune 500 companies, Sarah purposefully moved around into multiple business functions to grow her skill set.

Nikki spent the first five years of her career as a clinical molecular biologist and describes her experience of lab coats, hairnets, booties, and fluorescent lighting. She told herself the story that she had to stick with her career because of the years of schooling and being good at the job. After a long vacation with her husband, Nikki knew she needed to take the time and space to discover her next move, which included six-months of solo traveling the world.

Episode 022 - Alice Terry began her career in the London fashion industry. After several years with big brands like Michael Kors and Net-A-Porter; she traveled to Guatemala and fell in love with everything it had to offer. Alice was visiting family friends and soon made it her home for a year. Her first entrepreneurial venture was making jams to sell in local markets and small restaurants. The next big adventure was moving to New York City.

Susan and I launched her business, Susan Hill Interior Design in the Spring of 2018. I’m so honored that she not only chose to work with me, but she was eager to share her story on the podcast. Susan worked in the building and construction industry for 20+ years, and after winning multiple American Society of Interior Design (ASID) awards, she decided to launch her business.

Caleb left the corporate world by acquiring a company during bankruptcy, which is not our typical story. He speaks about being observant to opportunities and using mentors to help guide your path. Caleb is clear on his vision for his life, which allows him to make better, more informed decisions when it comes to which business idea to explore. Caleb encourages anyone interested in business to educate yourself and be willing to learn and listen from experts who have first-hand industry knowledge.

Shannon spent three years straddling the corporate ladder and her side hustle business. After overhearing a conversation about 7Up salad, she knew that she wanted something different for her life than a windowless, beige office. She started by growing a freelance business building websites, then transitioned into affiliate sales, and finally added a podcast called Pep Talks for Side Hustlers.

Episode 018 - Kelly began her full-time entrepreneurial journey after a round of corporate layoffs, she took full advantage of the newfound freedom and hit the ground running. She took inspiration from podcasts and other entrepreneurs and wasn’t worried about the fate of her success. Kelly used her natural talents and launch Loud Blonde, a marketing company for female entrepreneurs to find their authentic voice and build a bold presence online.

Episode 017 - Katie doesn’t regret a single moment of her corporate career, but there came a moment in her family’s life that they needed her more than ever. After packing up the three cats and the family for RV life, Katie was diagnosed with cancer. She’s now on the road to good health but found that healing her body and mind started back in the kitchen. Katie is a fantastic cook, and her friends and family were always asking for support and ideas for busy families.