5 Lessons I Learned the Hard Way Transitioning from Corporate to Entrepreneurship (and How They Can Help You Too)

As the year winds down, the first snow falls, Christmas lights sparkle and the inevitable winter fatigue sets in, I thought I’d share a more personal take to this month’s article.

It’s been 2.5 years since I left my 20-year long career in the corporate world. The transition was harsh, to say the least, as I struggled to recover from burnout and grieve the identity I had lost. As I look back and reflect on the incredible journey the past years have been, I wanted to share 5 lessons that I learned the hard way. They have reshaped my perspective on value, success and finding myself along the way.  I hope they help you too, no matter where you are on your journey.

1. Find Your Worth from Within

This is by far the biggest and hardest lesson I have had to learn. When I left my corporate role, I realised that I had attached my entire self-worth to my career. I was so proud to share my job title, it elicited a sense of status and success. When I was asked who I was, I would literally answer with my profession. I had tied my entire value to that corporate identity, so when I no longer had that to hold on to, not only did I have no idea who I was anymore, I felt completely worthless.

And then, as I slowly recovered, I learned to listen within and remember who I was without that corporate identity. I realised there was no one to give me validation anymore apart from myself: no more performance reviews, promotions, salary increases or congratulatory emails.

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey and the hardest part is learning to find your worth from within. No one’s applauding your courage and resilience. Learn to anchor yourself in your own self-worth and redefine what success means to you, without any external expectations or validation.

2. Redefine What Success Means To You

Which leads me to the second lesson: what does success mean to you?

Today’s society has created a set of materialistic expectations as to what success looks like: a high-powered position, a successful career, a high income, a big house, a fancy car.

But the reality is, defining success like this means we are constantly chasing the next goal. And once we achieve it, the sense of satisfaction and fulfillment is short lived. We immediately start on our quest to achieve the next one. I remember a friend of mine admitting that after years of chasing a promotion, when she finally got it, she wasn’t any happier. She even ended up feeling more frustrated as it hadn’t increased her sense of value at all.

Perhaps the biggest shift we all need to make is redefining what success looks like for us. Is it just about chasing money and power? Or is it about creating a business that works for you, is aligned with your values and enables you to live a fulfilling life along the way?

3. Trust Your Intuition

When I was working in corporate, I was often shamed for trusting my gut instead of validating every choice with data. And yes, data is important, don’t get me wrong. But we have elevated analytics and rational thinking to such an extent that we have forgotten one of our biggest assets as human beings: our intuition.

Big companies rely on five-year plans, detailed analysis and tons of data. But as an entrepreneur, it’s a different game. A five-year plan will become irrelavant as you test and learn. Trusting your intuition is one of your biggest assets in navigating  a journey which is both uncertain and full of new possibilities.

4. Build a Support System

Entrepreneurship can be a lonely journey. Even if you have nailed the internal validation, redefined what success means to you and learnt to trust your intuition, you still need someone in your corner for the highs and lows!

The best decision I made was to find a support system. My family, especially my husband, have been wonderful in encouraging me in my choices. But I knew I needed more than their loving presence and support. I chose to work with a coach for two years as well as join some online programs and communities which felt aligned.

Whether it’s a coach, a partner, or other fellow entrepreneurs, having someone who can act as a sparring partner and a support system during both the wins and the struggles is invaluable. If you don’t have a support system in place, make building one a priority, it can make all the difference.

5. Find Your Unique Value In What Frustrates You The Most

My entire career, I had navigated to brands that were different and edgy. I would use it as an excuse to push the boundaries of what was expected in the corporate world. I was called the “black sheep” on more than one occasion. It took me a while to realise that all the times I was frustrated, that I tried to push outside of the box, or was even shamed for being me - as I mention in lesson 3, I always trusted my gut more than data, a big no no in the corporate world! - were actually the answer to the unique value I could bring to the world.

I started mapping out all the areas that had caused tension in my corporate role. Most of them were linked to how different my vision of marketing from that of the corporate world: a lack of true purpose, prioritising trial over loyalty, diluting your message to appeal to a mass audience, making claims that had no substance, bland innovation to increase consumption, etc. It was from this list that I was able to start distilling what made my vision different and ended up with the 4B Brand Model for Positive Impact (you can read more about that here if you’re interested).

As you build your brand as an entrepreneur, I encourage you to look back at what has frustrated you, where you have been shamed and where you have tried to break out of the box and use that as your path to find your own unique value.

Looking Ahead: Join Me on This Journey

I hope these lessons will be food for thought for you as you wind down and start planning for the year ahead.

As I look forward to what’s to come, I am excited to share that I will be launching a community specifically for entrepreneurs looking to make a positive impact in the world. "The Impact Circle" will be a safe space to help you navigate your journey. You will get access to marketing expertise, support to build your monthly content plan, inspiration on how to think differently about making a positive impact and, of course, a place to connect and support each other.

You can find out more here and sign up for the waitlist to be the first to hear when the membership opens! 

Happy end of year everyone and see you in 2025! ✨

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The first step on your journey to positive impact is anchoring in a clear and compelling brand purpose. To help you do just that, we have a FREE purpose guide that walks you through the questions and steps that will enable you to articulate your brand purpose.

 

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