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30 Lessons, Five Years After Saying “I Quit”
This year will be five years since I submitted my resignation letter. I left my full-time position as a creative leader at a SaaS start-up to work for myself full-time.
In late August of 2020, I said, “I quit”.
It had nothing to do with the Great Resignation (that actually followed the year after) or my performance. Nothing was technically “wrong”. I had been with the company since its early years, was the sole designer for about three years, led a huge brand refresh for the company, witnessed the massive growth, and cultivated the designers on my team for close to another two years.
My decision to leave had everything to do with answering the entrepreneurial call I felt since starting my first real business in college with a close friend and roommate. It was a burning desire that fluctuated in intensity, but never fully went away.
That fire was lit 20 years ago (wow, has it really been that long?)
I quit because it was time. After years of working as a designer in all kinds of professional spaces—corporate, nonprofit, small business, agency, start-up—it was time for me to explore the fullness of my creativity, without restraint. I learned so much from my time at these jobs, and I’m truly grateful for those growth opportunities. I also learned just as much about…