Part Four · 5 of 6

Stable and Unstable

A few months after I left, I was shocked to learn that a friend of mine had been laid off. I had always thought she had a stable job with great flexibility and perks. At least, that’s how it looked a year earlier.

Sometimes a great corporate job isn’t as safe as it appears. And sometimes going out on your own isn’t as risky as it appears.

My dad called one night and asked whether my work was stable enough now that I’d left corporate.

I told him that “stable” can become unstable, and “unstable” can become stable.

Another friend asked why I hadn’t just coasted along in my fully remote job much longer while growing my side business. Even if I’d been laid off for it, I might have gotten a nice severance package. That would have been the smarter move.

With my family’s expenses on my shoulders, it’s hard to disagree.

But I told him I just wanted to feel in control of my own life.

Corporate is a place where the longer you stay, the lower the chance you can, or want to, leave. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. You trade part of your freedom for stability.

I just decided to make a different trade.