Transcript 110. Three reasons why I quit my job.

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[00:00:00] Renata: Every now, and then I do an episode that's really personal. It's very chatty. It's very. Um, scripted. And this is one of those I'm going to talk to you about the reasons why I quit my job. 

[00:00:20] Every now, and then I do an episode that's really personal. It's about my personal story and things that happened to me in my career. And I going to do one of those today. It's very unscripted. It's very chit-chatty. And it's telling you about the reasons why I quit my job. So hang on and let's dive right in. 

[00:00:45] Every now. And then I do an episode that is very personal. It's about my personal career, what happened to me, and I hope that my experiences and sharing it with you gives you some idea about what to expect or what not to do or what to do. This is one of those episodes. It's very, chit-chatty, it's very unscripted and I hope you enjoy it. 

[00:01:09] I'm going to talk to you about the three reasons why I quit my job. 

[00:01:17] So. First thing. So. I'm going to talk to you about the three reasons why I quit my job. When I say I quit my job. I mean, I quit working as a full time executive because truthfully. I did not actually quit the actual job that I was doing back then. I was made redundant. But what I did quit was job searching and going back into the workforce as a full-time employee, working for somebody else. 

[00:01:54] Now you may have heard my story before I have done an episode on this. I have also it scripted on my. My website, because everybody really asks me about it. And I, I decided that it was better to just share it on the website and, and on the podcast and make it really easy for people to hear it. I've always wanted to be a career coach. I didn't think I, I was going to do it so soon in my career. I was 47. 

[00:02:23] When I decided after I was made redundant that I didn't want to job search anymore. I'm pretty sure that if I had continued to look for a job over here, Started to look for a job in the first place. That I would have found something. Uh, it's, I'm not bragging about myself. It's just statistically. 

[00:02:44] Um, based on, you know, previous experiences and also based on the average time that a, an executive. Needs to look for work, especially pre. Pandemic. I knew it. That I would find something. Between three to six months in, in three to six months time, I was pretty certain. In fact, I shared in this podcast, before that I received a call and I could have gone for a job interview. 

[00:03:11] Straight away right after I was made redundant. And I'm not saying I would have gotten that job, but, you know, I was feeling pretty confident that there was a market there for my skills and that I could find something else if I wanted to. I was devastated that I was made redundant. I really enjoyed working with my team and parts of my job, not everything, but parts of my job were really fun and interesting. 

[00:03:34] But I understood the reasons why I was made redundant. Um, and I'm at peace with that. I really didn't feel the need to, um, change the announcement. So when you are a senior executive and you are restructured, And pushed out of the organization. You have some benefits, you know, you can actually choose what, what the message is going to be communicated and how you're going to walk out. And you can say that, for example, I was given an option to say that I wanted to, to leave. 

[00:04:04] But that was just not true. And I. I didn't think I could look my team in the eye and say I wanted to leave because they knew how passionate I was about my work. So, and also I was very at peace with myself and I'm very, um, Uh, a straight shooter. So I didn't want to. Um, send a different message. 

[00:04:25] Um, so I just decided to own it. Um, and I I'm glad I did. I think that different people require different exit strategies and at different times in my career, You know, I've chosen different things. And I know that some of my colleagues left around that time. They may have. Chosen to do things differently and that's totally fine. You know, whatever you decide to do is fine. You can actually work with a coach to make sure what, what the best solution is for you. 

[00:04:55] Uh, in terms of maintaining your brand and your reputation, I'm just, I was just really comfortable with walking out. Uh, with my redundancy package. And I didn't want to change the comms. I thought the calmness was great. I had great support from my boss. Excellent support from HR and I was very comfortable walking out. 

[00:05:18] So. I decided to Dan quit my job. And even for people that really knew me, that was surprising. I think that they felt that it was too soon. Um, a few things made me feel comfortable and confident that I could quit my, my career as a senior executive or an executive. And do my own thing and have my consultancy and coaching. 

[00:05:47] And these three reasons I'm going to share with you today. I'm sharing this towards the end of the year, because I think that a lot of people at this time of the start reflecting about their own career paths and. What could have, should have, would have happened. Should have you. If they decided to do something differently. 

[00:06:07] And. And that's totally normal and everybody. Is. Um, Everybody needs to make those. Internal conversations and reflections from time to time to make sure that they are on the path that they want to be, and that they're leading a purposeful life and that there. Leading towards their preferred future. Not just any future that just happens to them. I don't like happenstance. I don't like serendipity personally. I like to have, uh, some certainty about outcomes in my life. 

[00:06:43] Um, I feel. More secure. I think it comes from the fact that I am a migrant that I've. Migrated to Australia and. When you do move away from your home country and you have no connections, no money, no nothing. You tend to be. Very careful with your career with your, um, your future steps professionally and personally, into a completely new new world. You feel like an alien and you want to settle in and you want to find your fooding. So for that reason, I've always wanted to be. 

[00:07:17] Very confident about what I was doing. And I always knew that eventually I would go back to an entrepreneurial. Um, way of living. It's not for everyone. And these three reasons why I decided I could give it a go, I think makes all the difference for me. And it could help you if you're reflecting. About your own career choices around this time. 

[00:07:45] The first thing that I assessed was this. My risk management analysis for myself and my personal life and finances showed that I could afford to take the risk. Now I was 47. I'm now 49. I'm attorney 50 soon. And, um, And I thought, well, you know what, I'm going to give this my very best go to have my consultancy. 

[00:08:13] To start coaching. And I will give it a few years, a good three to five years. And if it doesn't work. I will come back into the workforce or even if it works. But I'm tired of it. And I miss being with people, I will go back. I interviewed a friend of mine. Karen James. She is fantastic. Such an amazing woman. 

[00:08:37] That interview, I will put a link to it in the show notes below. Karen James was a huge influence in a way, and in my decision to open my own business because she did that. She left Commonwealth bank. Which is the major bank here in Australia, did her own thing was very successful doing her own thing. 

[00:08:59] For many years. And then she felt like she needed a team. Again, I needed to work with other people and, you know, connecting in different ways and. Challenge herself in different ways. And she's now the CEO of a not-for-profit based in Melbourne. And, uh, she has always embraced Korea challenges in different paths, in a very positive and optimistic way. 

[00:09:23] Of course there are risks. But, you know, I think it's important to do that analysis that I'd like to do that counterpoint with Karen. Because. Um, She is, you know, a solo agent and found ways of making it work for her. Whereas for me, frankly, One of the reasons why I felt so safe and secure was because I have a wonderful partner. 

[00:09:49] I am married and the dual income and his support for my, my business have always been paramount to me. And it really enabled me. To be able to. You know, start a business and not have any income for a while, knowing that he has a secure job and that his income would, would keep us going. While my business was growing. 

[00:10:13] So, uh, undre has always been incredibly, um, Um, a great rock for me and incredibly, uh, supportive of everything that I've decided to do, frankly. Let's move to Australia. Yes. And that's have a business. Yes. So he's, he's very good like that. And I remember when we, um, when I. I left Monash, uh, after my redundancy. 

[00:10:39] And a few days later, I went to him and I said, look, I want to do this. Um, Um, what was it? Uh, styling course. I wanted to do a styling course. You know, I really think it would help me. And he thought it was like interior design. So he was like, yeah, for sure. Absolutely. 

[00:11:01] Like, whatever. Whatever you want to do, go to it. And it was in fact personal styling. It was about choosing clothes and all of that. And I'm really glad I did it because. I helped some great clients of mine, you know, get ready for pre pandemic interviews with, you know, choosing clothes and, and I've spoken about this. Um, 

[00:11:24] In previous episodes as well. So that was all I did with that chorus. And maybe for some personal sort of selfish reasons, I, I really enjoyed it, but, um, yeah, no, whatever, you know, whatever I want to do, he's very supportive. So that's great. But also Andre and I are family. We have a somewhat frugal lifestyle, you know, we're not wealthy, but we're not poor. 

[00:11:50] We don't mind. Uh, leaving, um, on a budget and we're used to it, I think migrating to Australia. And all of those changes have made us really. Um, Frugo and good at budgeting and living a lifestyle. That's not indulgent. It's not expensive. That's not wasteful. Um, We have simple tastes. I mean, not super sample. We're actually quite urban noise and we like to go to concerts and we like to go to restaurants and stuff like that. But. 

[00:12:24] We have pretty happy just living in Melbourne and having friends over and not doing much, frankly. Watching TV and reading books that. That all sort of suffice as for us, we're very, we're very easy going like that. We had just sold our house and downsize to a smaller property with a smaller mortgage. 

[00:12:44] We had savings. We had the red, the redundancy package and the fact that he had his income still going. That meant that I could, um, grow my business without that. Stress of making money quickly. That's never a good thing when you're opening a business. And I know that because this is not my first business. 

[00:13:06] So I think that that risk management analysis showed that I really could afford to take the risk. And I also had tools already to. To use because I had my first business, so I bang my head on the wall. Um, previously in my twenties. And now in my forties with my kids grown up, I have two adult sons and, um, and the support of my husband. That was pretty good. 

[00:13:36] The second reason why I thought I could quit. My, my job was that I knew that ownership. Was more important to me than income generation. 

[00:13:49] So I'll repeat that. Cause that's really important for people that want to have their own business. Ownership was more important to me than income generation. Having my own thing excites me. You know, I get excited about the business being mine. And. Me calling the shots. This is the second time that I opened my business. And it's the second time that as I'm opening my business, 

[00:14:15] Someone decides that they are, would love to be my partner. So, um, when I opened my first business in Brazil, it was a travel business, specialized in corporate travel and, um, international education specifically. Sanding. Um, executives overseas to do his extra education and MBA spade by there. Um, businesses, they're usually, you know, subsidiaries of large European and American companies based in Brazil. 

[00:14:48] Who were. Scouting great talent, local talent, training them and wanted them to make sure that they had excellent English and good international education before they would take C-level opportunities in, in the company based in Brazil. 

[00:15:05] Um, I am really love to doing it, but I started from the ground up. I was in my early twenties. With a young son. And the mother of a friend of mine really wanted to join. And I said, no. And that seemed really dumb at the time. I mean, everybody thought it was dumb, but I really wanted to business to be mine. And I wanted to call the shots and. 

[00:15:30] I didn't want to. Um, split decision making with anybody else. And the same happened this time and the partnership would have been great. I love the people that, um, came on board and suggested that we could partner up, but I still wanted to. Design the programs and create the business around my lifestyle and the round things that I wanted to do. So I decided to say no. 

[00:15:56] And, and yeah, I think it's really important and income generation is important to me. And I'm so glad that after what, two years of coaching, I can safely say I'm in a very good spot at the moment. But the ownership was more important, even if I didn't make a lot of money, just having that experience of running my own thing. 

[00:16:19] Was what I really wanted to do. And I think this is really important because if you think you're going to open a business and make a lot of money very quickly, that is. Potentially wrong. It's very rare and it takes a long time for you to understand the nuances. Of how the business flow month by month and when things will work by when and when they don't every day, I'm still learning every day. I'm making my business better. 

[00:16:50] And sometimes my husband tells me, asks me, what are you doing? Why, why are you working? Uh, so late? And I'm like, oh, I have all these things that I want to do in 2022. You know, I'm usually thinking six months ahead, you know, and thinking about, um, what will work well with my clients and what won't. 

[00:17:11] And during this pandemic, it's been nonstop learning because every quarter is completely different from the other. Can you imagine? As a career coach. Uh, the employment and unemployment balance has been completely crazy for the past two years that I've been coaching. So I'm learning all the time. So that's the second reason. And the third reason is I, I don't care what other people think. 

[00:17:41] I could not be doing this if I cared, what other people think. Now, this is so important because when you are a senior executive and you have been a CEO and you have been a director and you. You know, being considered for all the roles of CEOs and directors, then you decide to do a new executive coaching. Like I'm doing. 

[00:18:04] Some people have an issue with that. Some people will look at me, I think. What. What are you doing? And frankly, I don't care what they think. What what's important for people to understand this, whatever you want to do. You only live once it is your life. Go do it. Right. So if you're trying to please people and I am in your close to your forties and fifties. 

[00:18:34] Then you need to give that up. It's not going to be good for your mental health. It's not going to be good for your, your life or your contentment for your happiness. So I just think you can do whatever you want to do. If you want to quit your executive career and become a tradee, do gardening go do it. 

[00:18:55] I know someone who, um, when I was a CEO of On his foundation, she was the CEO of another foundation. And she quit. And went to TAFE to become a tradie. And I thought that was fantastic. I know someone who went from being an executive to becoming a DJ. And I thought that was great too. I mean, really? 

[00:19:18] You can't, like I said, you only live once. And it's not a mid career crisis. It's just a mid career. Pivot, it's changing to. Based on your learnings about yourself and what makes you tick and what makes you happy? And again, like I said, in. Point number one, if it doesn't work, it doesn't work and you go back and you do whatever you need to do to go. 

[00:19:45] Into the workforce again, and that's fine too. It's not one thing or the other, once you choose a path, it's not like you cannot go back. And I did, I think very early on, I did an episode about this. Because I want people to feel safe in making decisions and confident. Because if you make decisions in your insecure, 

[00:20:05] You already. Opening up a huge. Um, sort of. Black hole. That can sink your dreams and your business into it. Right. So don't compare yourself with anybody else. Don't compare your career with any other career. What others think of you doesn't matter. Wow. At least it doesn't matter to me. I don't care if I don't make a lot of money. 

[00:20:35] I don't care. Um, about, um, my status as a, an executive, I care about making my clients. You know, make the best out of their careers. That's what really, really moves me and, and makes me passionate about what I do. I found a way to make a living out of my gift. And I feel like I'm the sort of coach where I have had so many scars and so many experiences career wise. 

[00:21:10] I have. Um, Taken note, all of that recorded and archived at all. Like literally I have written a down. As you probably know if you've been following me for awhile. That I, I have taken notes of every thing that have, has happened to me, knowing that one day I would come back to those notes and use them. I'm looking at them right now. They are. 

[00:21:37] Uh, uh, files and files. Of archives that I have physically, you know, the archives are in front of me and in my computer as well. And I knew that that's what I wanted to do. I care a lot about getting my clients into better jobs. And I, um, I'm very, I feel very lucky and privileged. I think it's a privilege to make those choices right. 

[00:22:01] And that's something that often I have to discuss with my clients. Can you do it? You know, cause it is a privilege to make those, those dreams come true. And I'm very lucky that I not being able to do it. So these are the three reasons why I quit my job that I felt comfortable. Uh, quitting my job. I made a risk management analysis and I. 

[00:22:26] I realized that I could afford to take the risk. I knew that ownership was more important to me than income generation and that I could wait to, um, generate income in time. And it didn't have to be straight away. And even if I didn't make as much money I was as, as I was making in the corporate world, that I would be happy and satisfied with my job. 

[00:22:50] And I also didn't care what other people's thought about my choices. And I'm good. Live with whatever. Um, And that I wouldn't care about comparing myself with others. I was pretty certain and confident about the path that I was choosing for myself. I hope that this has helped you, you know, I listened to Elizabeth Gilbert's podcast. I forget the name. It's something magic, something, something magic. And it's a lovely series. It's not, it's not, uh, ongoing and it's a few years old now. 

[00:23:29] But it's a series of episodes where she's talking to creatives and telling them and giving them advice, almost mentoring creatives. Every episode is about. One one creative and, and she's talking to them and helping them. With their, um, craft, right. And Elizabeth Gilbert. She is very pragmatic as a creative, you know, and I remember her saying in one of the episodes that she had this. 

[00:23:59] Um, Two concepts about how you make choices in your career. One is to be pushed. And the other one is people that push themselves. Either you're pushed or you're, you're pushing yourself and I, I had to be pushed. So the redundancy was that big push. Um, If I had to push myself. I would probably have waited a bit more because of this. 

[00:24:28] Personal choice that I have to always feel secure and confident. So I would probably have waited for one or two more senior executive roles before. Aye. I took a chance on having my own business. But I am so glad that I was pushed looking back now. I was, I'm so glad because I feel that at 47, 48, 49, the age that I am now, I can relate so much more with my clients. 

[00:24:55] And I have so much energy and then I, I, it was just the right time. I really didn't have any interest whatsoever in applying for full-time roles. So it could come back to me. And it could be that like my friend, Karen, um, after a few years, I will miss working with others. I have a great team now. 

[00:25:20] I work with three amazing women, one on one in the U S and two in the Philippines. And. Um, just love delegating. I'm very happy. That I can afford to have Camille. Um, Estella and Sianna working for me, it's a great partnership and a great collaboration of someone who owns a business and three freelancers. And they're excellent at what they do. 

[00:25:44] So, um, I'm glad to say I already have a small team and I worked very closely with some collaborators, like people from Slade group, you know, Jeff and, um, And Anita and bill from trans search and Jacinta and, and Donna and Carroll and Jen from watermark. Um, James from the UK from talent predicts, and I love working with those sort of collaborations and other coaches like Michelle Redfern, SU. 

[00:26:17] Susan Colon Twana from Korea that Saurus. I think that if you have your own business, you really have to surround yourself with like-minded. Entrepreneurs and freelances collaborators and businesses that can support you. And that really, that ecosystem makes it all worthwhile for me. And of course, you know, having you, the listeners, it's just so fantastic. Like every day, every day I get amazing feedback from my listeners, for my clients. 

[00:26:51] I feel, I feel the love. I feel the energy and it's really important to me to have that connection with you. So thank you so much for listening to this episode. Very too chatty unscripted. Like I said, And I hope that this has helped you, if it has helped you. Please, let me know if you're a subscriber to my newsletter. Just reply back when you get it and let you know your thoughts. And if you have any ideas for future episodes. 

[00:27:19] In January, I'm going to be interviewing a few guests and planning a few new episodes for you. So please send me ideas. I'd love to hear from you. And if you haven't subscribed yet, please do. I think in the show notes and you will receive an email from me every week on Tuesday morning. That's it folks. 

[00:27:39] Thank you so much for listening and I will see you next time. Ciao for now.