(Even When the Timing Felt Terrible)

For most of my career, I did everything “right.”

I climbed the corporate ladder. I led large teams. I ran multi-billion-dollar sales and marketing organizations across North America. On paper, it looked like success (and in many ways, it was).

But underneath it, something didn’t sit right.

I was gone a lot. I was “renting” my income. And deep down, I knew that no matter how senior I became, my future was still in someone else’s hands.

That realization is what eventually led me to leave corporate and buy a franchise — even though, at the time, the economy was shaky and I had the weight of providing for my family… the decision felt terrifying.

Questioning “Safe”

Like many people considering entrepreneurship, fear showed up loud and early.

I was the sole provider for a family of six. I had responsibilities. A steady paycheck felt “safe,” especially when the economic outlook wasn’t exactly sunny.

But here’s the truth I eventually had to face: a W-2 job isn’t safety, it’s permission.

When you’re an employee, you’re renting your income. Someone else controls whether you keep it, how long you keep it, and what happens when priorities change. I’d seen layoffs, reorganizations, and leadership changes derail even the most successful careers.

I didn’t want my future — or my family’s future — tied to an HR decision.

The Search for the Right Business

When I finally committed to exploring business ownership, I didn’t rush it.

I spent about six months in due diligence, looking at different franchise opportunities and asking hard questions about what I wanted my life to look like — not just what the business could earn.

Eventually, I found a junk removal franchise called Junk King. Not glamorous. Not trendy. But incredibly practical.

It was a need-based business that worked in both good economies and bad ones, and it matched my operational and leadership skill set.

I decided to go big, purchasing the rights to multiple states. The investment was substantial. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars just for the territory.

And two days before I was supposed to fly out, sign the franchise agreement, and hand over the check… I panicked.

The Phone Call That Changed Everything

I remember thinking, “What am I doing?”

This was a massive portion of our savings. If it failed, it wouldn’t just affect me, it would affect my entire family.

So I called my mentor, Wes, and told him exactly how scared I was. He asked me a few simple questions:

“Were you successful in corporate?” I said yes. “What would make you think you wouldn’t be successful running a small business?”

Then he asked, “Do you invest in the stock market?” Me: “Of course.”

Wes: “Do you try to time it?”

Me: “No — you get in and stay in.”

He said the economy works the same way. It goes up and down. You can’t time it. You just have to get in and go.

That conversation didn’t remove the fear; it reframed it as just part of the process.

I Bet on Myself

What I realized that day was that I already had the hardest part down: the skill set.

Leadership.

Sales.

Marketing.

Operations.

Decision-making under pressure.

I wasn’t starting from zero; I was transferring experience from a corporate environment into a business I could actually control. 

As a business owner, when something breaks, I fix it. When revenue dips, I adjust. When fear shows up, I manage it.

That sense of ownership changed everything.

Life After Corporate

I handed over the check. I flew out for training. And I’ve never worked for anyone else since.

My kids were young at the time, between five and eleven years old. One of my biggest motivations was showing them another path. They’re growing up in a gig economy and they need to know how to create opportunities, not wait for them.

Entrepreneurship gave me more than income. It gave me presence, control, and the ability to build something on my own terms.

Looking Back

The timing wasn’t perfect; actually, it was terrifying. But without question, it was totally worth it. 

There is never a perfect time to make a big move. The economy will always be up, down, or sideways. What matters is whether you’re positioned to control your outcome, or rent it.

Leaving corporate wasn’t about escaping work, it was about owning my future. And that made all the difference.

If you’re questioning whether now is the “right time” to leave corporate and invest in a business, you’re asking the right question. Let’s have a conversation and let’s figure out whether franchise ownership fits your goals, skills, and risk tolerance.