3 Steps to Quit the Golden Handcuffs

I went to an inspiring event a few weeks ago, where I gathered in an intimate sunken living room in Tribeca with about 40 other corporates, creatives, and community builders on a mission. Organized by Kim and only loosely facilitated to let the group ask each other questions, I left that night with pages of notes and ah-ha moments furiously typed into my phone to untangle later. 

One of the biggest themes?

How many folks in that room alone struggled to shake off the Golden Handcuffs- the enticing benefits that keep you in one corporate job, despite your true desire to go somewhere else or start your own thing.

Beyond just salary and standard benefits (looking at you, decent health insurance!), my friends and I have also felt “shackled” to corporate jobs by the allure of shares on a 4-year vesting schedule, the promise of a paid sabbatical after 5 years of service, or a company paying for an advanced degree in return for a few years of work. 

But then, three summers ago, I finally did shake off my Golden Handcuffs, giving notice at my 9-5 tech HR job to build my own career coaching business full-time.

Here are the exact 3 steps to take your own brand or business from daydream to doable: