Why I Left Corporate America After 19 Years To Start My Own Company

Leaving Corporate America, as a thriving professional, when it's been the primary source of your income, is one of the hardest decisions you may ever have to make.

Especially when you've worked hard to climb that corporate ladder, land that big "fancy" role, buy that new house, score your dream car, and FINALLY start making the salary you've been working so hard to earn. Leaving this all behind, is usually not a question.

That's why after being gainfully employed for 19 years in the Fin-Tech Space, (Banking/IT), when I finally garnered up the courage to walk away in August 2015, it was no easy feat.

After doing so, I often reflect-back on how I worked-up the nerve to just do it and which motivating factors had me so unglued, that amidst my father's scrutiny, the judging eyes of co-workers, and only five-months shy of my annual bonus, I decided to resign altogether embracing a totally new chapter.

Since this is the number one question I get asked from working professionals, I've compiled my answers below, in a digestible 5-point summary.

My goal for sharing this article is to support anyone who's considering transitioning out of Corporate America to become a Business Owner, as well as, provide Organizational Leaders with insights on what it feels like to be misaligned within a company, from the employee's perspective, in hopes of applying preventative measures and strategies to retain great talent.

5-Reasons Why I Left Corporate America After 19 Years To Start My Own Company.

1.) In need of a deeper more fulfilling purpose:

• As an IT Regulatory Compliance Leader, the work I did to keep the bank safe and sound, didn't translate to people for me, instead it was all about processes vs. purpose, which felt very business as usual and disconnected from the human experience.

2.) Inability to create:

• A big part of my professional DNA is process improvement meets creative innovator. This means I'm extremely left brain and right brain and have to create as much as I develop and process map. At the time that I decided to leave, I'd created some new ideas that I thought would bring people together and improve the culture & because of my role, there was an expectation to focus solely on the tasks associated with my role & nothing more. I became increasingly frustrated with an inability to feed the creative side of my professional strengths or contribute to a greater cause within the company.

3.) Lacked passion

• My role was largely about working the entire year, to be best prepared for the big O.C.C. Exam and impending audits which took place annually between June through September. Although this was the role I'd signed up for, I often longed for passion. Something hoped for. Something to be excited about. Something with a smile attached. Evidence that we were making a difference.

4.) Stifled potential:

• When I think back about my Corporate career, I realize that I was living a double life. By day, I was a boardroom-bandit, consulting, managing and road mapping risk remediation strategies to keep our IT dept safe and sound. Yet by night, I was producing major stage play productions in Charlotte's Creative Art District consisting of writing, casting, directing & sometimes filming. I recall wanting so badly to figure out how my creative talents could contribute to my professional work environment, however at-that time, it was quite unwelcome. In 2015, personal branding, purposefully driven career roles and companies that worked hard to create an inclusive 'holistic' culture, were not yet broadly popularized. That meant, you were expected to focus on doing one thing well, what you were hired to do, which can completely stifle your full potential.

5.) Lack of Social Community:

• I remember at my company, there was a big push to stand up and promote the Employee Resource Groups (ERG's), which were largely around connecting people within communities of practice. (i.e. Women in Tech, Young Leaders, etc.) While this was great and created a tight knit work community for people of similar backgrounds, I didn't find it representative of who we were outside of work. Our total selves. Where were the Authors, Playwrights, Musicians, Poets, Tech-Innovators, Chess Players, Hunters, Bargain Shoppers, etc.? Surely I couldn't be the only oddball living a dual life? To test my theory, before I resigned, I'd organized a movement to create a Creative Arts Council (CAC) which would create a social community of like minded employees who not only connected through arts, yet could also be considered a viable source of entertainment for our company. (i.e. Holiday Parties, Summer Soirees Social Galas, Fundraisers, etc.) My fellow employees loved the idea and showed up in mass to join the CAC, however the company didn't see the value and selling the concept, despite a thorough implementation strategy, became a source of stress.

Today, as a Personal Branding Innovator & 30-Day Launch Strategist, my work is: purposefully fulfilling and allows me to create amazing brand clarity for others.

I enjoy using my gifts & talents to help companies, teams & individuals reach their goals 50% faster by crafting visions and developing the execution strategies to get MORE done in less time.

This has afforded me the luxury of getting behind socially relevant causes that impact the masses!

It's safe to say, I am working, living and loving in my purpose and I encourage everyone to do the same!

If you need help discovering your deeper purpose, or simply want to learn more about maximizing the best of your personal brand, go to the30daylaunch.com to register for my FREE webinar or to sign up for my newsletter, where I always offer helpful Personal Branding tips!