#491 How I Quit Corporate America (And You Can Too)

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Summary:

In this solo episode, I share my personal journey of leaving corporate America after 15 years in software sales to build my own sales coaching business. I walk through the path that got me here, from a former golf pro to a top performing seller to a founder, and I break down the two to three years of preparation that made the jump possible.

I cover five key lessons: building momentum before you quit, focusing on doing better instead of doing more, giving yourself permission to act, ditching the idea that there's one right playbook, and finding your circle of peers, mentors, and coaches.

You'll walk away with a practical, honest framework for thinking through your own transition out of a stable job, including how to think about branding, getting paid clients early, and getting your finances in order before making the leap.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro / Welcome back

1:01 My backstory: from golf pro to corporate sales

3:06 The 2019 conference that planted the seed

4:15 Coffee chats with Doug that turned into coaching

5:28 The question from Randy that changed my direction

6:06 How the idea came together in early 2024

7:11 Point 1: Create momentum before you jump

8:01 Build your brand before you need it

10:02 Get paying clients before you go full time

11:39 Get your finances in order first

14:57 Point 2: Don't do more, focus on better

16:33 Point 3: You don't need permission

18:49 Point 4: There is no playbook, write your own

21:41 Point 5: Find your people, peers, mentors, coaches

26:19 Final thoughts and how to connect with me👋 Hey, I'm Brian Ondrako and I left a 15-year career as a top performing software sales rep to coach early-stage startups on the skills and systems to build predictable revenue. Check out my coaching programs on my website, https://brianondrako.com or say hello on LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianondrako/