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I did 7 years in a small shop (websites), then 7 at a mid-sized digital/ad agency (websites, mobile apps) that got acquired by IBM. For many reasons, I had no interest in IBM, and despite completing the 2 year vesting period to receive the acquihire retention bonus, I refused to sign the paperwork before the official transition into IBM iX, left the bonus on the table, and resigned.. walked out with nothing but a thrilling sense of possibilities for the future. That was 2017, been 100% freelance since then literally flying by the seat of my pants (no insurance, no benefits, no PTO, no guaranteed income, nothing) and never been happier. Some years I've made more money, some years way less, and that's 100% on me. It's very freeing to take responsibility for your perceived success or failure, rather than be a cog inside of a machine that you truly can't control. FWIW, I'm in my early 40's with a wife and kid, single-income household, eating what I kill. It's the only lifestyle that makes sense for me, and I would NOT even begin to recommend it to anyone else; I have a suspicion that people who are cut out for the risk are living like this already. Anyways, I don't tell this story to brag or posture, or to invite dark karmic retribution upon myself -- I just think it's worth articulating that there are so many different paths in life, some you choose, some you're forced into, and it might help paint a fuller picture of options for somebody who is curious about how other people are getting by in the world. Not everybody can/should "be bold", but I do advocate for people to try to find what brings them joy and contentment and inspiration and motivation, and be brave enough to pursue that if it's even a remote possibility. |
Also early 40s with a kid and I spent many years working for myself before getting a job about five years ago. The security and lower stress has been nice, but I miss being self-employed. Fortunately I'm remote and my WLB is great, so I try to think of my employer as just another client, and I work on projects of my own. Golden handcuffs and a VHCOL city mean that there's little realistic chance one of those projects enables me to quit, but I fantasize about it daily.