I Don’t Hate My Job. I Just Don’t Depend on It.
The shift that changed how I think about corporate life, job security, and building something of my own
What would you do if your business disappeared tomorrow?
I didn’t expect that question to stay with me the way it did.
I was listening to entrepreneurs I looked up to. People who had built the kind of businesses I thought I wanted. They had the income, the flexibility, the control.
Someone asked:
“What would you do if your business went away tomorrow?”
Almost all of them said the same thing.
They’d go back to their corporate jobs. Or some version of it.
That caught me off guard.
Because for the longest time, I’ve been focused on building a business so I can eventually leave my 9–5. But that question made me pause.
I realised I don’t actually hate my job
Somewhere along the way, I had bought into the idea that the job was the problem. That it was the thing I needed to move away from.
But when I really looked at my life, I couldn’t ignore what my job has given me. It has funded a very comfortable life for my family.
My son recently calculated the miles we’ve flown over the years. We’ve circled the earth almost five times.
Climbed Angkor Wat.
Frozen at the Grand Canyon.
Visited universities in the US and UK.
Returned to my alma maters at UT and LSE.
Watched fish swim around our feet in the Maldives.
We’ve chased the Northern Lights across three countries.
Picked fresh eggs on a farm and cooked them for breakfast.
Walked through cities like London, New York, San Francisco.
And beyond the travel, there’s everything else.
Because of my job, I had bosses who supported me getting certified as a leadership trainer and coach. That opened doors to freelance work that eventually paid me more than my salary and gave me skills I’ll keep for life.
It gave me exposure, credibility, opportunities, relationships.
Even things we don’t think about often:
my mortgage being partially covered through employer contributions
access to credit because of the company name on my payslip
instant trust when I walk into a professional setting
There’s a lot my job has made possible.
And sometimes, I forget that.
So no, I don’t hate corporate life
I don’t think most people actually do. What we don’t like is something else.
