How I Knew It Was Time to Leave My Corporate Job and Bet on Myself

When the work felt constantly overwhelming, the late night dreams became work related, and I was in physical pain from the overall stress  I knew I had to leave my corporate job.

Since I decided to trade in my stay at home mom hat to become a working woman again, I had no idea what I was giving up in the process. I wanted to feel like an adult again. In my eyes, dusting myself off and going back to work was a pathway to feeling whole as a woman.

How I Got Here: A Quick Overview

In a nutshell, I worked my way up to a senior role at one of the top companies in the world  and honestly, it felt liberating. I don’t care what anyone says: beating the odds, nailing the interview, and getting an offer letter from one of the most sought after companies is such an ego trip. Imposter syndrome kicked in for sure once I actually stepped foot in the building, but over time I knew I was smart enough and that I belonged. I went on to make a real impact, managing a $2B portfolio in global supply chain. The stakes were high and I felt every bit of it.

I’m giving you this overview so you can understand where I’m coming from, why I was willing to walk away, and to bring some perspective for women who may be questioning their own corporate path.

The Reality Behind My “Dream” Corporate Career

On paper, my résumé looked absolutely fabulous. I’ve had the opportunity to work for a variety of Fortune 500 companies, bring home a six figure salary, and hold titles to match. I worked hard to get to this point, and favor definitely played a part in giving me a seat at certain tables.

The recurring conflict was how much I didn’t thrive in environments where I had to constantly shapeshift to fit an organization’s work culture. There were so many corporate nuances I wasn’t privy to, in addition to the code switching that would eventually become exhausting. Being a Black woman in a white male dominated field is taxing over time  and it definitely got to a point where I dreaded Mondays while lying wide awake the Sunday before the work week started. Don’t get me wrong  I loved the impact I made daily, I somewhat enjoyed my day to day responsibilities, and I loved receiving awards in honor of my team’s hard work. But something was still off.

The Breaking Point: What Finally Made Me Leave

I was growing weary and felt like my true self was slipping away. Realistically, my 9 to 5 was consuming so much of my time  even after I clocked out  because of the nature of the business. I was no longer able to pour into the hobbies I’d grown to love. Eight hour workdays slowly turned into 10 to 11 hour days, multiple days a week. Granted, different points of the year naturally call for overtime, but it slowly became apparent that this would become our new normal with a potential recession looming after coming out of the pandemic.

There were many times when we wanted to travel abroad as a family and taking time off became increasingly challenging. The return to office mandate was also a deciding factor, especially with a busy PreK daughter at home. The cost of staying soon became far greater than the risk of leaving.

Eventually I realized I valued my peace of mind and my freedom far more than a paycheck. Knowing that I had a few side businesses capable of supplementing my income gave me the extra confidence to take that next step. I weighed the pros and cons, talked to my husband about it  and a decision was made. I put in my two weeks and made that leap into full time entrepreneurship.

What I'm Doing Instead

Entrepreneurship can feel like the wild, wild West  unpredictable, sometimes chaotic. But I’ve been here before with my side businesses, so this time I’m approaching it with more strategy and less fear.

First on my list is building out my content creation business  showing up consistently across my platforms, continuing to grow this blog, and becoming a full time YouTuber. I’m also rebranding Shot By Molisho, my photography business, which has grown over the years primarily through word of mouth. It’s time to advertise it intentionally and add new offers to my site.

On the mission side, I’m continuing to lead Be The Light & Inspire, the nonprofit I cofounded with my husband. We’ve been fortunate to orchestrate many initiatives that have saved lives in the Democratic Republic of the Congo since 2019  and that work is only growing. I’m also becoming more hands on with our real estate portfolio, which has been generating consistent monthly income with our units fully occupied.

And yes  I’m still open to the right corporate opportunity. This isn’t about hating corporate America. It’s about finding a role that actually fits who I am now.

My overall vision across all of these income streams is to replace my previous salary, realistically hit $20K a month in profit, reach 100K subscribers on YouTube by the end of 2027  and fully step into the identity of the multimillionaire business mogul I was born to be.

The Hard Truths Nobody Tells You About Quitting

It’s imperative to have a plan in place before you make a move like this. And I mean a real plan. Not just a vibe and a vision board. I’m talking savings that can carry you for at least three to six months, multiple income streams already in motion, and a clear picture of what your monthly expenses actually look like without a corporate paycheck hitting your account. Most people underestimate how quickly the honeymoon phase of quitting fades once the bills don’t stop coming.

I won’t lie: I was sad at first. I cried a few tears because it was genuinely a hard decision and I loved the people I worked with. I was losing an identity I’d proudly called my own for years. Being a tech professional in a Fortune 500 company wasn’t just a job title. It was something I had fought hard to earn and something I wore with a lot of pride. Letting that go, even by choice, is a quiet kind of grief that nobody really prepares you for.

In all seriousness, I was walking away from good benefits and a solid salary. Health insurance, 401K contributions, paid time off, the works. Those things matter and pretending they don’t would be dishonest. I had to make sure my family was covered and that the financial foundation we’d built together wasn’t going to crumble because I needed to follow my gut.

There was also an underlying layer of judgment I wasn’t fully prepared for. People don’t always say it out loud but you can feel it. The raised eyebrows when you say you left without another job lined up. The “wow, must be nice” comments that are meant to be compliments but carry a little sting. Even well meaning people in your circle can project their own fears onto your decision and make you second guess something you were at complete peace with.

And then there’s the imposter syndrome that comes with actually having the privilege to walk away. I personally didn’t know many people who could quit a corporate job in this economy and have other streams to fall back on. That reality wasn’t lost on me. I held it with a lot of gratitude and I also held it with the weight of knowing that quitting without a safety net is not the move for everyone. Know your numbers, know your worth, and know your why before you hand in that badge.

What I’ve Learned So Far

Career fulfillment for me doesn’t mean climbing the ladder. I never had the desire to, and feeling the weight of that corporate grind only cemented it. I can be content being an individual contributor for the remainder of my career without succumbing to people management  and that’s a perfectly valid choice.

Your side hustle can absolutely become your main thing. Now more than ever, it’s important to build income streams outside of your 9 to 5  because job security is not promised. And it’s also pretty powerful to have purpose beyond what you contribute to an employer.

I’m learning to tell my story and to not be afraid doing it. Authentic storytelling is one of the most underrated tools a woman in transition can have. The more honest I am about my journey  the messy, the brave, and the in between  the more I realize how many women are quietly living the same one.

So What’s Next

I don’t have it all figured out  and I’m okay with that. What I do know is that the woman I’m becoming on the other side of this decision is someone I’ve been working toward for a long time. She’s strategic, she’s grounded, and she’s done shrinking herself to fit into spaces that were never truly built for her.

If you’re a woman sitting at a crossroads right now  exhausted, underpaid, overlooked, or simply ready for something more  I hope this gives you both the permission and the practical reminder that you need a plan before you make the leap. But also know this: the leap is worth it when you’re ready.

I’ll be documenting all of it right here  the wins, the setbacks, the real numbers, and the lessons. Subscribe, bookmark this, share it with a friend who needs to hear it. We’re just getting started.