Thinking of quitting your 9-to-5? This entrepreneur shares 3 lessons learned after taking the leap |
More professionals are questioning whether the traditional 9-to-5 is still the only path to a successful career. As conversations around freelancing, remote work, and entrepreneurship continue to grow, personal stories of individuals taking a different route are gaining a wide online audience. One such post has now caught social media’s attention, with a marketing executive opening up about life after leaving a corporate job and the lessons learned while building a business from scratch.The Reddit post has sparked discussion not only because of the income shared by the entrepreneur but also because of the practical advice offered to people planning to start their own venture.
Business grew steadily after leaving the corporate world
The 33-year-old marketing executive said they quit their full-time corporate job in mid-2024, calling the decision a “life flex.”The entrepreneur shared that the business started with two clients, and despite facing some friction in the early stages, operations gradually became more organized. A third client was also added recently.“Been actively working with 2 clients since last year and just closed another one last month. Now I’m working on closing a few more deals before the end of this year,” the user wrote in a Reddit post.
What changed after stepping away from a 9-to-5
According to the entrepreneur, the workload has not disappeared. The business still involves long working hours, meetings with clients, and occasional visits for work. However, the biggest difference is having the freedom to manage time without being tied to a fixed office schedule or daily commute.“I’m not tied to the 9-to-5 job life anymore. No commute either. If I want to go buy groceries for my salad recipes in the middle of the day, I can. If I want to take my daughter to the beach on a working day, I can. Right now, I’m enjoying the rainy season from my village home while working remotely. Life’s good.”
Three pieces of advice for aspiring entrepreneurs
Along with sharing the journey, the marketing executive also listed three suggestions for people hoping to build their own business.The first was to avoid quitting a job without enough savings and a backup plan.The second was to stop chasing only high-paying clients and instead focus on learning and improving systems.“Don’t obsess over landing high-paying clients once you’re at it. Sounds weird, but my lower-paying clients taught me way more about building scalable systems. The big retainers can actually make you complacent because you stop feeling the need to improve or innovate,” the entrepreneur said.The final advice was to measure outcomes and connect the work done with the value delivered to clients.Lastly, the executive advised the rookies to measure the outcomes and tie everything back to client ROI so that “they can see the long-term value.”
Internet applauds the entrepreneur’s journey
The Reddit post received several supportive comments, with many users saying they related to the experience of working independently and wished the entrepreneur success.“Congrats on your success!” said one user, while another wrote, “I agree, life is good when you can work remotely without any 9 to 5 pressure. Congrats.”A third commented, “Happy for you, OP. I’m in freelance marketing too and get what you mean about the work culture, or when compared to 9-5. Good luck with your new US clients; I hope you get them.”A fourth added, “It’s better than bootlicking and way better than the corporate hustle. All the best, OP. Hope I will also do something of my own in the near future.”Disclaimer: The Times of India has not independently verified the claims made in the Reddit post. Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)
