Last year I made a huge career change, and it has honestly been my very best and proudest moment. I went from a successful and challenging career in corporate into entrepreneurship. It was a huge leap, and it wasn’t something I took lightly. In fact, I had my plan for a whole entire year before executing it. Even before that, I had dreams of becoming an entrepreneur. I attended Entrepreneurship Bootcamp at UCLA, participated in a one-year mentorship with LinkedIn and completed my MBA all with hopes of someday having a business of my own.
A few things I considered during my decision to make the move:
- Financial security, I had a one-year commitment contract before I gave notice at work
- Benefits- For us, we were able to switch over to my husband’s benefits plan and it was seamless
- Designated work area- We had an extra bedroom, which we converted into an office
- Vision/strategy- This is my longevity plan, how sure was I that my business model was going to be successful. At the end of the day, this was a gut feeling because I had the one-year commitment and it felt right
- Less time commuting, more time for important things, like family, working house, home projects and fun side projects
- Big Magic- I asked the universe for a sign. When I got my sign, loud and clear, I waited one whole entire year before actually making the move, but I felt like I was being guided in the right direction.
I am currently seven months into this venture, and things are going even better than I expected. I absolutely love my work. The projects are challenging and fulfilling, and I have met some great people along the way. My mentors have been pillars during this time and I have reached out a lot. Anytime I have a question, or am feeling anxious about a problem, I reach out.
Things I did before leaving my job:
- First, I talked to an accountant about my plan,
then I filed all the necessary paperwork for my S-Corporation
- This took about 6 weeks, and cost about $1,000
- I filed all federal and state documents in a binder
- I got a new laptop, desk and large monitor for the office. I set up the desktop with all necessary software, including QuickBooks
- I set up my workspace along with a sample daily schedule
My first month was a blur. I was working on business back end, along with billable projects and I was out of breath all the time, running 100 mph all day and night. As the months went on, things calmed down a bit, but my calendar remains extremely full. Now at seven months in, I am amazed by how far it’s come. My dream of entrepreneurship has finally come true and I couldn’t be more pleased. One night over dinner, I asked my husband if he was surprised by how well my business was doing, and he looked perplexed….no, I’m not surprised at all. Pinch me!
J Vollbrecht Consulting, Inc is a Project Management Consulting Company, founded in 2019 by Jennifer Vollbrecht
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