Hi Reader, I talk with a lot of people who dream about leaving the 9-5. They want more freedom, more control, and more meaning in their work. But leaving a stable, well-paying job for the uncertainty of self-employment is scary. It took me four years of preparation to say goodbye to my employer for the last time. Needless to say, it wasn't a decision I took lightly. As the sole breadwinner for a family of 5, my decision depended largely on one thing: Risk reduction. If I only had myself to...
18 days ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, The New Year always feels like a clean slate, doesn’t it? A fresh 365 days to conquer. A brand-new 12 months to change your life. It makes sense that people want to set big goals and bold resolutions right now. But I’ll be honest with you… January is not my peak performance month. If you’re anything like me, coming into the New Year doesn’t feel like rocket-fuel energy. It feels… slow. Sluggish. A little foggy. You’ve just come through the holidays, a time where routines fall...
25 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader, If you're worried about trying to escape your 9-5 because you're late in your career, I'll make it really simple: Don't be. I left my 9-5 after more than two decades in my career. I was in my mid-40s, on my career ladder, with more rungs to climb. It took me four years to build and execute my exit plan, but I succeeded and left my 9-5 behind. I'm living proof that it's possible. But everywhere I go (in person and online), I hear people say it's too late for them to pivot. They tell...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hi Reader, If you’ve ever thought about starting a freelancing side hustle or business, even casually, you’ve probably felt this at some point: You want to build something, but you have no clue where to begin. So you read, watch videos, save ideas. And somehow… nothing actually happens. I’ve seen this over and over again, both in my own journey and with the people I talk to every week. The problem usually isn’t motivation. It’s the lack of a clear starting point. That’s why I created...
about 1 month ago • 1 min read
In the 9-5 world, your career trajectory is largely out of your control. It hinges on your manager’s bias, corporate reorganization, and higher-ups' opinions of how well you fit. You can do everything right, and still push against the invisible walls of politics, quotas, personality conflicts, and decisions you have no say in. When you work for yourself, those walls disappear. There are still challenges, of course. Clients cancel, plans shift, and the work isn’t always glamorous. But the...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Hey everyone, I want to share something a little personal this week. Partly because I think it can help some of you, and partly because it’s something that took me longer to figure out than I'd care to admit. Most of you know I’m a writer, editor, and coach. What you might not know is that I’m absolutely terrible at self-promotion. I have about 250 Instagram followers, no TikTok account, no podcast, and no YouTube channel. Almost no social media presence whatsoever. And yet, somehow, I turned...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
No doubt you’ve heard the greatest hits of time-management advice: Prioritize your top tasks Use a daily to-do list Block your time Eliminate distractions Set realistic deadlines Batch similar tasks Get a Pomodoro timer Outsource, defer, delegate, delete… There’s a system out there for every personality, every job, every season of life. But the uncomfortable truth is that time management is really self-management. When you call it “time management,” it feels like the problem lives somewhere...
about 2 months ago • 1 min read
Here’s the real difference between an amateur and a professional: Amateurs work when they feel inspired. Professionals work because they said they would. Escaping the 9-to-5 doesn’t mean escaping professionalism. If anything, it means doubling down on it. When I was still in my banking job, I built my writing business the same way I handled my day job: I showed up Even when I was tired. Even when I didn’t feel creative. Even when it would’ve been easier to shut the laptop and watch Netflix or...
2 months ago • 1 min read
When I was still working at my 9-5, building my side hustle, I used to say things like, “If I can ever leave the bank,” or “If my side hustle income ever reaches my banking income, I’ll quit my job.” That word “if” was everywhere. It sounded harmless, but looking back, it revealed what I really believed at the time, that maybe this wouldn’t happen. That perhaps I wasn’t the kind of person who could actually leave the security of a long career and go out on my own. One day, my wife, Laura,...
2 months ago • 2 min read