"I had nothing new going on when I resigned" 

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 Charlotte's switch didn't happen overnight.

The thoughts of "doing something else" had been lurking

for a long time. All said and done, she finally quit her secure job

in the book industry. Six months later, she was an entrepreneur

and CEO in an industry she had no previous experience with.   

 

Tell us about your switch in general   

I worked as a graphic designer at a book publisher.

A wonderful industry and creative job.  But it was a

rather bad working environment in general and many

people felt did not feel so good. Finally, I had enough

and quit. "Just like that" it may seem, but it had been

brewing for a long time. At this point, I had no new job lined up.

 

When did you make your switch? 

I resigned in February 2020 just before the

pandemic. Which was lucky, if I had waited a

month longer, I probably wouldn't have dared.

Six months later, when we thought the pandemic was over (haha), my husband and I found out that there was an education company that was for sale. We jumped at the chance and bought it, but had we understood the difficulties that lay ahead, we would never have dared. 

 

Do you experience a "Before and After" your switch?

Yes. I would say I felt relief afterwards. Perhaps the happiest person was my husband, who had been the one listening to my frustrations every day after work. Poor thing! I felt a lot of stress and frustration concerning my dysfunctional workplace.

 

What was/is the biggest challenge with your switch?  

Concerns about the economy. Now it has worked anyway, but the worry still gnaws a little. But I think that any day now it should take off properly.

 

General thoughts; Advantages, disadvantages? 

The absolute biggest advantage is the freedom to be able to control my own time. I can work from anywhere. I can help my mother who suffers from Alzheimer’s, in a completely different way than I would have been able to if I had been employed. The downside is the economy, which still feels uncertain.

 

Many are afraid of leaving the “rat race" – How would you encourage someone who is considering it but is hesitant ... what are your most important insights? 

If you have once thought of leaving, I think it will lie and grow in the background all the time. Dare to leave and do something new - it's worth it every time!  Do something you've never tried before, it's such a thrill to learn new things. You get to meet people with completely different experiences than you have, which is a lesson in itself. 

I think it's rare that you regret leaving a job/occupation that you don't really enjoy. On the other hand, I think it's more common that you regret not doing it.