I jumped. I am still alive!
I am still flying with a parachute over a year later.
The entry into the airspace called ENTREPRENEURSHIP is often scary!
In fact, my loud audience of inner critics never ends! Will my idea work? Am I built for this? Will I be able to support my family? Am I doing the right thing? How do I do all the things that make a company work? Is God in this? What is my purpose? What if I fail?
Fortunately, I can silence the voices on most days and keep pursuing my call. Life is short and only a vapor. The journey has been amazing, freeing, and one that continues to mold me into a more faithful servant of God.
With that being said, entrepreneurship is not for everyone, but when it’s your time, don’t hesitate.
Some Say Not to Jump
There are many people still walking along the edge, deliberating the jump to freedom, while employers are doing their best to attract their talent back from the edge. If you’re still reading this, you’re probably on the edge, feeling the desire to jump.
You’re not alone! Workforces everywhere have woken up to the Great Resignation and “quiet quitting” movement to improve culture, increase employee incentives, and normalize remote work.
This type of employee retention is long overdue and a great thing for the economy! Employees have been reminded in the last 2 years of the extreme satisfaction that comes with adequate flexibility that allows us to devote more time to our families, rest, hobbies, and community.
Though the corporate negotiation tactics for this “buyers market” is at an all-time high, a fascinating article by McKenzie states that over 40% of all employees are job hunting or looking to start their own business. The article goes on to break down the core values each generation is looking for, with an overwhelming majority still seeking more flexibility, meaning, and compensation.
With 40% of the market exploring options, we should be careful not to point fingers at toxic workplace cultures. We live in a capitalistic society that trains us at an early age to chase the American Dream.
“But often what is lost in the chase for white picket fences is the true treasure inside those fences: family, nurturing relationships, and the hearts of our kids.”
Cal Newport recently went deep into the history of workplace movements on his podcast. He has identified a pattern of historical counter-cultural backlashes through radical movements such as Woodstock, FIRE, Tim Ferriss’s 4-Hour Work Week, purpose-driven and DEI-focused organizations, and now the Great Reset.
We are still in this Great Reset movement that has many political agendas, but the backlash in this movement is The Great Resignation which is birthing a wide wave of valued-based entrepreneurs. This is good! Thanks to technology, the opportunity for starting something new has never been so ripe!
What we are also learning in the latest backlash is that history has a way of repeating itself and as humans, we continue to wrestle with one fundamental right: OUR FREEDOM.
Entrepreneurship is a symbol of freedom.
However, starting a new venture vs staying in the comforts of the 9-5 culture is a tough decision that should not be taken lightly.
Get a Parachute Before Jumping
Knowing that 40% of the world is still weighing their career options, I would be the first to recommend taking a strong look at entrepreneurship, freelancing, or independent consulting. It’s been forecasted that 75% of the workforce will be contracted by the year 2035!
Free flying into a place of self-employment has a lot of benefits. Yes, I am biased, but I have lived the best of both worlds in corporate, non-profit, and independence over the last two decades. From a value of life perspective, here are my pros and cons. I encourage you to do your own list based on your personality type and skill set.
Pros
- Flexible schedule
- Flexible travel
- Less Stress
- More family time
- Better sleep
- Better health
- Stronger faith
- Better Relationships
- More focused and less distracted
- Happier
- Adding hard and soft skills to my craft
- Making a targeted impact on the world
- More time to….(FILL IN THE BLANK)
Cons
- Risky financially
There you have it! I kid you not, I can’t think of a second con. I’m sure there are many other perspectives from my risk-averse audience that can call out the cons. With every pro and con list, there needs to be a filter of consideration of variables. To dive deeper into the benefits, I would encourage a full evaluation of your skillset, values, seasonality of life, and your God-given purpose.
Let’s start with the skill set in general terms. Which would you identify with?
- Team Oriented or Leader
- Creator or Fixer
- Developer or Builder
- Visionary or Administrator
- Helper or Independent
The above is just a starting point for identifying how you operate. But to go even further, ask yourself a few of these questions:
- Do I have a vision of a better world if I could do (FILL IN THE BLANK)?
- Am I currently doing something for a corporation that could be done more efficiently or independently?
- Are there people around me that can help bring a new venture to life?
- Am I disciplined enough to go through the ups and downs of starting a business and sustain a decent living?
- Is there a current hobby that I would like to grow into a business?
- As a child, what brought me joy in my activities? Is that dream at a young age still there and worth pursuing?
- If I didn’t have to be perfect, what would I do?
- Most importantly, have I done deep inner work to find clarity on my God-given purpose in life? If this resonates, click here.
The next evaluation would be the seasonality of life. Here are a few last questions to ponder:
- Do I have an emergency fund to support my family while pursuing a new venture?
- Do I have connections or a path to investors?
- Have I built social capital so far in my career or have the ability to strengthen my network of future clients, advisors, and supporters?
- Do I need additional certifications, training, or education for my new initiative?
- Do I have any upcoming major expenses to support my lifestyle, family, or children’s endeavors?
- Am I currently in the midst of a project at work that would burn major bridges if I left at this very moment?
Your Choice
I’m not telling you to jump nor am I talking you off the ledge. Leaping is not for everyone. But for those that do leap, seldom are there any regrets.
The Great Resignation is the best thing that could be happening to this world right now. Employees are benefiting from this movement. Every organization is getting pruned. Pruning helps growth…ask your local farmer!
For those that have jumped, it’s also pruning season. It may be less money and less comfort, but our quest is to find the next problem in the world that we were born to fix! It’s our purpose!
If you are on the fence about quitting the day job due to toxicity…wait! Reframe your current situation before taking action or looking to other pastures. Start by answering these questions:
- Am I there to bring salt and light to a dark place?
- Do I have a purpose and ability to help support organizational change?
- Am I there to help someone specific, perhaps with a greater purpose than my job description?
- Is there a timeline that would help me leave well and accomplish my goals?
- Is there a path for me to return as a consultant or work a different position if I remained on the payroll?
The questions can go on and on…the gist here is to fully find purpose and peace with where you are currently at. We are in a fallen world so every organization is always going to claim greener grass.
However, if you are being called to entrepreneurship, listen to your inner voice and God. Start planning the jump. Three simple steps to support the jump:
- Re-evaluate your bigger vision and goals in life
- Seek support professionally and through family and friends
- Leave well. This may take a month or even a year pending on your current projects, team, and organization. The goal is to make sure you plan accordingly, and test out your ideas for the new ventures while remaining true to your current FTE.
If you are meant to jump, jump with a smile on your face…enjoy your new journey!
Stay tuned for the Your Parachute Guide: Employee to Entrepreneurship™ launching in late 2022! Sign up for my newsletter if you are interested in receiving a copy when it launches.
