Chapter 7: The Lessons from the Jump
I quit my job a bit immaturely. I would do my last day at SLB very differently than what I did, but what’s done is done. I don’t recall exactly what happened, but I do feel the environment was getting very negative for me. I love IT security, but I felt like everyone around me was just looking for an opportunity to turn each other in instead of backing each other up.
I recall the HR chick calling me out and writing me up with my supervisor simply because my career goal that I wrote down was “unreasonable,” and after that, she told me that I should have a “reasonable goal” within the company, and that I should “follow the rules” and “trust the grading system.” If you know me, I can’t stand those words. I stood up and left the review meeting early and got a big write-up after that.
I really liked the top manager of my IT Security department back then. He was an inspiration from the moment you met him. He interviewed me, and I was inspired by him, but unfortunately, he moved to a different position, and the replacement manager never filled his shoes, in my opinion.
Inspiration is a big part of my career. I like to surround myself with people who inspire me and support me to reach higher goals. I remember clearly in a particular review meeting when that HR chick told me that my goal was too high and too unreasonable and that I would never be able to achieve that here. I knew it was time to pack up and go.
Now that I lead one of the biggest sales organizations in my brokerage, I know that if anyone says that to one of my team members, they are dead to me. Unfortunately, what made it worse back then is that I naively expected my boss and my boss’s boss to back me up strongly after that HR meeting, but they didn’t. They sort of agreed with HR. So, I knew it was really, really—really—time to get the F out.
So, that is that. I quit my job, and my stable W2 income was gone forever without much of a plan. What happened after that is just scary, but I managed to find the right company and the right people around me. I will discuss this more in the next chapter. But I can tell you this: I would never have achieved what I have today if I hadn’t let go of my W2 job. I learned what I could during my corporate life and applied it to the next chapter of my life.
Do keep good relationships with the people you work with, though. Thankfully, I did not mess this one up a whole lot. Lots of my co-workers are now my clients, referral partners, friends, and much more than that.
I recall waking up in the next few weeks feeling very lost. I would try to get up and get out of the house like I would normally go to work, then not know where to go after that. It was such a bad and lonely feeling, even for an anti-social animal like me, and I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what I did. Just have a plan and be smart about your exit. Don’t be like me on this one.
Health insurance was a big concern for me when I let go of my job. Jenny does not have a job with healthcare either. I signed up for what was called a health share back then, but I ended up canceling it later since they kept raising the fee, and we did not use it once during the two-year period.
I am not sure what to advise you on this topic other than to stay healthy. Not only is it good for your health, but it’s also good for your wallet. Sometimes you have to take risks. I accepted this risk.
Keep your fixed personal expenses low if you intend to quit your job. If you have a fancy house with a fancy car and expenses over your head, quitting your job will be challenging. If you can Uber and still have enough money to cover expenses, then all of a sudden quitting your job is not too scary at all.
I remember going through my credit card statement and canceling every single subscription that was not crucial to my livelihood. I even went to the extent of refinancing my car to a 7-year term just to have a cheaper payment per month, just in case.
Savings also play a big role in confidence. I remember banking up my savings and canceling all my unnecessary expenses before I decided to turn in that 3-week notice. If you haven’t noticed by now, I have had a good money habit of saving up since college.
I may not be so good at making a lot of money, but I am very good at living below my means and saving up for a rainy day.
My friend jokes with me all the time: “You are probably the only wealthy person I know who has a mortgage under $1,000 (and doesn’t even pay for it) and uses MINT mobile.” I don’t quite get the joke, but OK. I take it as a compliment. Maybe that’s what keeps me wealthy! I don’t have a need for anything fancy (except when it comes to cars).
Love him or hate him, I really like this quote from Donald J. Trump: “You learn a lot during hard times” and “a little dry powder (cash) doesn’t hurt.”
One lesson I learned from this chapter is that you need to check your emotions during times like this. It is stressful for you, but it is unfair to unload your stress onto people around you. Keep your emotions in check. Block time for fun time. Continue with your hobbies.
And one by one, you get one client after another, hustling for one deal after another, and your dream and your goal will be back on track sooner than you expected.
Chapter Summary:
If you plan to let go of your corporate job, plan it well. Try not to quit immaturely like I did.
Keep your emotions in check.
Keep good relationships with the people you work with.
Stay healthy.
Keep your fixed personal expenses low.
Have 6 months’ worth of living expenses saved up just in case.
Execute a plan to have a productive day, instead of wandering around looking busy.