15+ People Who Dared to Leave Their Corporate Job Behind and Start a New Life

Not all of us are able to turn the page, leave the boring job and follow our dreams. But many of those who have done it don’t regret their choice in the slightest. And it doesn’t matter that some of them used to earn crazy money working for a large company, and now they are nail techs or soap makers. The main thing is that their eyes now shine with happiness.

Working from home is not a piece of cake.

• At 26, I quit teaching at school and started working remotely. My mother-in-law gossiped at the time, “She’s only staying at home and playing on the computer.” One day, she bursts in on us and screams, “When are you going to get a job?!” You should have seen her face when I told her that my earnings were already double what her precious son and my then-husband made.
  By the way, I work as a teacher only in an online school now. I wake up, do makeup, put on a decent top, turn on my laptop, and I am already at work.

“7 months ago, I quit my Walmart job to become a jeweler, and I’m entirely self-taught. Yesterday, I finished my most complicated work yet: a ring made with Manhattan Project shield glass and Trinitite nuclear glass.”

“I quit my office job in the US, sold my stuff and moved to Thailand. Best decision ever. My new backyard.”

From a nail tech to a restorer

• My wife is a multiple champion in manicure competitions. She worked for 12 years, and then she said, “I can’t look at nails anymore.” So she went into a field that provides car care services. Now she restores leather in car salons. © Unknown author / Pikabu

“It’s been 3 months since I quit the day job for art. I’m still kicking! Here is my art.”

“I’m almost 40. I was a front end web developer for a small corporation. It was a good job, but the endless full days at the computer really started to get me down. I quit my job 4 years ago to take pretty pictures like this.”

A new day — a new decision

• It seemed like an ordinary day, but that morning I suddenly decided that it was time for a change. I quit my job, sold my one-bedroom apartment to some real estate agency for a ridiculously low price, bought new flip-flops, a suitcase and a ticket to Thailand. Now I’m sitting and waiting to board my flight. Behind me, there is a prestigious job and stability, and ahead is emptiness and the unknown, but for the first time in 26 years I feel really happy. © Overheard / Ideer

“I quit my job a year ago and started flipping motorcycles, it’s become a real passion for me.”

“The joy shoots from her facial area! My wife was able to quit her job to pursue a homemade soap biz!”

From a childcare assistant to a stylist

• I used to work in a daycare. Parents, when picking up their children, were always amazed at their varied and complex hairstyles. 6 months later, I quit my job and departed to look for myself.
  Now I live in a big city, and I am a famous stylist. I do wedding and evening hairstyles. My schedule is full for the next 2–3 months. I want to thank all my little models, without whom all this probably would have never happened. © Overheard / Ideer

“I quit my job to be an artist and it somehow worked.”

“I’ve spent 4 years designing this board game and just quit my engineering job to go all-in. Cheers!”

It’s never too late to learn new things.

• First term done. Feeling pretty good about myself right now. Slept through school growing up and worked my whole life in a factory, picking up 50lb bags all day. If I can do it, so can you. © Unknown author / Reddit

Changing careers is scary, but terribly interesting.

• Next month, I will turn 30. I have worked in management and law practically all my life, but I have long wanted to try myself in cooking. I was discouraged, I listened, and I was afraid. And then I realized that my every morning starts in tears and depression.
  Tomorrow is my last day at work. Suddenly, my CV (I’m looking for a job of a cook) has proved very popular, despite my lack of experience. I bet on a small venue, where they are ready to hire me immediately.
  In childhood, I dreamed of wearing the police uniform, but it did not work out. It left me frustrated for a very long time. Now I’m going to wear a chef’s uniform. Why not? © Riful / Pikabu

“I quit my job, and now I have time to chase the flowers. Superbloom at Carrizo Plains National Monument, California”

A superbloom is a rare desert botanical phenomenon in which an unusually high proportion of wildflowers blossom at roughly the same time.

A round-the-world trip instead of an office

• I quit my prestigious job, sold all my valuables, and set off on a round-the-world trip. 2 months into the journey, I have 8 African countries behind me. Just 6 months ago, I would have laughed if someone had told me I would be writing this post while in Mozambique.
  Dreams do come true! All it takes is the determination to take a step toward them. Don’t be afraid, don’t panic, follow the voice of your heart. And I think I’ve met my love. © Overheard / Ideer

“Quit my corporate job. Sold my startup. Now I’m launching my first ever board game on Kickstarter.”

About passive income and human envy

• I inherited 2 apartments from my grandmother. I decided to rent them out. I quit teaching at school, and just took on a few students for tutoring from home. I get enough sleep, I went to the sea, I got a massage. And you know what?
  My friends and colleagues whisper that sooner or later I will be cheated by tenants. They’re just full of venom, “She got lucky for nothing. How could she quit her job?” etc. And I feel like I started living for the first time in my life. Only 2 people are happy for me: my mum and my not-so-close friend. They said, “Enjoy!” © Overheard / Ideer

And here are some real-life stories that prove we have the power to change our lives for the better.