“Around 15 years ago, a Google executive threw out $1,000 bundles of cash to employees at an all-hands event around the holidays. Staff at Meta long enjoyed free laundry and dry cleaning…. At Netflix, employees were trusted to use their judgement when it came to travel, vacation time, and parental leave. More recently, the travel has been limited, the budget for hoodies and jackets has been reduced, and the quality and volume of the snacks has declined. The grass-fed beef jerky is gone.” – From “Techies: They’re Just Like Us”, The Wall Street Journal, By Katherine Bindley April 26-27, 2025
Around 15 years ago myself, I most certainly DID NOT have anyone throwing bundles of cash at me. And I was—much to my own chagrin—doing all my own laundry. Vacationing was rare and my snack budget was so meager I once had a meltdown in the grocery store over the cost of pickles. (no joke.)
Yet, in the face of all that money and wild opportunity happening in the tech industry, and despite living in the hub of the tech world, I opted to make my foray into solopreneurship.
The courage to move forward in unpredictable times, was audacious.
There is a lot of personal back story that explains why I made that choice, but fundamentally I knew that even the seemingly secure corporate world offers no guarantees. And I wanted to own my time.
Defying the outdated notion that work must be dull and uninspiring was a courageous act.
In fact, many people I spoke with rejected the idea that joy and fulfillment had any place at work. But it was the singular driving force in my venture!
I had to define what success looked like for myself.
If today’s unpredictable landscape is holding you back from going forward, I suggest harnessing your courage and boldly pursuing your path anyway!
It’s like having a baby – there’s never really a “right” time. You just have to do it!
I can help.
