Real stories of real people quitting their 9-5s in search of something different. Listen to inspiring conversations where we dive deep into the stories of why people quit their jobs, what were the hardest parts, where they are now, and any advice for people considering the same path.
Dave Phelan - Founders Approach
We are so excited to introduce Elena Agaragimova as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Elena discusses her journey of quitting her corporate job, starting a business, and then eventually going back into the corporate world. Learn how she developed the self awareness to understand what type of work she is most interested in and passionate about. Get inspired hearing about how she has continued to build her personal brand through podcasting and freelancing while still working a full-time job.Learn More About Elena:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elenaagaragimova/ Website - https://elenaagar.com/ Podcast - https://www.bessern.co/shift-podcast If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Lia James as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen to Lia share her journey of quitting corporate jobs multiple times to start different companies over the years. Learn how she drove around the country in a van with a dinner table to bring together strangers and engage in meaningful conversation. Get inspired hearing about how she is currently turning her home into a space for people to gather, reset, and connect in more meaningful ways.Learn More About Lia:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/liajames/ Website - https://www.andhuman.space/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Gino Cordone as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Gino discusses his journey of leaving his corporate career in mechanical engineering. Learn how he went from a side hustle to starting his full time business called Pleasant Podcasts. Get inspired how he has continued to learn and pivot to grow and scale his business by helping others create their own podcasts. Learn More About Gino:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gino-cordone-4171ab60/ Website - https://pleasantpodcasts.com/ Podcasts - https://pleasantpodcasts.com/my-podcasts If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Kay Ready as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Kay discusses her journey of dropping out of high school and becoming a teen mom. Learn how she used this experience to propel herself into the sales industry where she has now had over 25 years of experience. Get inspired hearing how she has been able to create multiple six-figure income streams from home and educate others to do the same.Learn More About Kay:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayreadyrealtor/ Website - https://www.kayreadyempowers.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Barb Otis as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Barb discusses her career in organizational development to help make the workplace a better place for employees. Learn how she discusses her personal experiences learning why her coworkers quit and going through the process of quitting herself. Get inspired hearing about how she wrote a book to help both employees and managers called “101 Ways to Lose A Great Employee.”Learn More About Chris:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/barb-o-a703775/Book Website - https://iquit.net/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Chris Zaccaria as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Chris discusses his journey of working in 8 different jobs over the course of a decade to figure out his career goals. Learn how being laid off gave him the opportunity to start his own recruiting firm. Get inspired hearing how he has gained control over his schedule and finances as he has scaled his company, CZ Consulting, over the years.Learn More About Chris:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-zaccaria/ Website - https://www.czrecruit.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Paul Baron as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Paul discusses his journey of quitting his job as a math teacher to start a business in the tennis industry. Learn how he started and owned a series of high-technology software, communications hardware, and consumer packaged goods companies. Get inspired hearing how at age 70, he is scaling he latest business venture which provides vertical printing solutions called The Wall Printer.Learn More About Paul:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbbaron/Website - https://thewallprinter.com/en/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Ryan Beach as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Ryan discusses his journey of hitting his career goals very early on. Learn how he decided to take a leave of absence and travel around South America for 3 months. Get inspired hearing how this gave him the time and space to figure out what he wanted and led to a promotion and new role at his company.If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Ellen Matis as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen to Ellen discuss her story of deciding on New Year's eve that she would quit her full-time job and how she handed in her notice two weeks later. Learn how she started a social media marketing agency called Hello Social Co. Get inspired hearing how she has hired full time employees, implemented a 4 day work week, and scaled the business over the past 5 years.Learn More About Ellen:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenmatis/Website - https://hellosocialco.com/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Matt Howitt as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Matt discusses his journey of layoffs, freelancing, quitting, and eventually starting his own business.Learn how he and business partner Alex Wasner started a software development agency called twothirtysix labs where they help brands launch websites, digital collectibles and other web3 projects. Get inspired how they quit their full-time jobs to go all in and have scaled the business to (9) full-time employees.Learn More About Alex:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-howitt-456559b4/ Website - https://www.twothirtysix.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Alex Politsch as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Alex discusses his journey of quitting his job as a financial advisor to buy a food truck. Learn how while attending Oktoberfest in Germany, he and his best friend, Steven Banks, came up with the idea of starting a doner kebab food truck called Döner Brös. Get inspired how they scaled the business, survived, COVID, and now have two brick and mortar locations in Baltimore.Learn More About Alex:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexpolitsch/Website - https://www.donerbros.com/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Jason Browne as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen to Jason share his amazing journey from quitting his full-time job at Penn State University to test and validate different business ideas. Learn how he thinks about the type of ventures he wants to do based on a personal SWOT analysis he conducts for himself every 3-6 months. Get inspired hearing about his successes as a Public speaker, award-winning radio host, Facebook Gaming partner, consultant & Rotarian.Learn More About James:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejasonbrowne/ Website - https://thejasonbrowne.com/ AW Rebels - https://www.facebook.com/gaming/awrebels If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce James Tierney as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as James discusses his story of turning his passion for education into starting his own tutoring business right out of grad school. Learn how his love of improv during college turned that into launching his own group called Happy Valley Improv. Get inspired hearing how James practices what he preaches to his entrepreneurship students. This enabled him to quit his full-time job as a professor to scale his multiple businesses.Learn More About James:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesetierney/ Happy Valley Improv Website - https://www.happyvalleyimprov.com/ Blue Brick Theater Website - https://www.bluebricktheatre.com/ Private Tutoring and Coaching Website - https://www.tierneyeducation.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Robert Bentley as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Robert discusses his journey from starting a mobile development business in the early days of iOS 4. Learn how he waited tables to pay the bills while trying to build the business. Get inspired hearing how he has scaled the Jed Mahonis Group over the past 10 years helping founders and businesses bring their ideas to life.Learn More About Robert:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robert-bentley-47804b29/ Company Website - https://jedmahonisgroup.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Matt Wolff as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen to Matt discuss how he came up with his business idea while attending a no hitter at a MLB game. Learn how he started building this business in addition to working a full-time job for 2 years. Get inspired hearing how he quit his job and has a grown Ticket Time Machine to work with some of the larger brands in sports.Learn More About Matt:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwolff3/Company Website - https://tickettimemachine.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Joanna Pease as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as she discusses how the 2008 housing crisis changed the trajectory of her career plans. Learn how she became passionate about indoor cycling while traveling across the country in her sales role. Get inspired how she took that passion and quit her job to start a rhythm based indoor cycling studio called Jibe. Check out one of their three locations in Charleston (SC) or Portland and Yarmouth (Maine). Learn More About Joanna:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-pease-a360106/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Eric Sauter as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Eric discusses his story of quitting his job to become the first employee at a startup called Fixt. Learn how he discusses the process of getting acquired and transitioning back into working in a corporate environment with the company that acquired them. Get inspired how he quit again to take a step back and figure out what his next steps are.Learn More About Eric:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/emsauter/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce John Balkam as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as John discusses his journey of quitting his job multiple times to start different businesses.Learn how the process of writing a book inspired him to quit his job to start an agency that combined sports, entertainment, and cause marketing called the Third Win Group. Get inspired listening to how he tied the growth of his business to the growth of his impact on the world.Learn More About Phil:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbalkam/ Website - https://thirdwin.com/ Book - https://thirdwin.com/book/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Phil DiMuro as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Learn as Phil discusses his journey of quitting his full-time job to launch a mobile app. Listen how he describes the reality and sacrifices of becoming an entrepreneur. Get inspired hearing how he used his previous experiences and failures to launch a software development agency called Founders Approach, where he helps startups and small businesses launch their own mobile apps or websites.Full disclosure, Phil and I have been best friends since college and business partners for over 7 years. However, I still learned new things during this interview. This is part of the reason we love sharing and telling new stories on “Why I Quit.”Learn More About Phil:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-dimuro-5246b230/ Website - https://foundersapproach.com/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Chris Rickard as this week's guest on Why I Quit. Listen as Chris discusses his journey of going from a full-time developer to scaling his own software development agency. Learn how he sold his business and has been traveling around Australia in a RV for the last 10 months. Get inspired hearing how he now focuses on helping other developers start their own agencies.Learn More About Chris:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrickard/Website - https://devtoagency.com/Twitter - https://mobile.twitter.com/chrisrickardIf you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Jae Jin as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” I first saw Jae Jin perform at Sofar Sounds in Baltimore and was absolutely blown away. As a person, musician, and storyteller, he is one of the most inspiring people I have met. Not going to lie, this was one of my favorite episodes and I hope you all check it out!Listen as Jae tells his story of how being a two time cancer survivor led him down the path of quitting his job and turning down med school. Learn how he sold all his possessions, packed two suitcases, and bought a one way bus ticket to NYC to pursue music full-time. Get inspired hearing how he refused to sign with a label, but has built a successful career on his own as a singer, song writer, actor, and public speaker.Learn More About Jae:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaejin/Website - http://www.jaejinmusic.com/Music - https://jaejinmusic.bandcamp.com/Concert Dates - http://www.jaejinmusic.com/tourPatreon - https://www.patreon.com/jaejinmusicIf you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
We are so excited to introduce Austin Benoit as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Austin discusses his journey of taking an SEO course and quitting his full-time mechanical engineering job one year later to start Search Prestige. Learn how experimenting with dropshipping, MBA classes, and freelancing led him down the path to where he is today. Get inspired hearing Austin think about building a business that optimizes his time and happiness.Learn More About Austin:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/austin-benoit-solutions/Company Site - https://www.searchprestige.com/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Brian Gaudio as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.”Listen as Brian discusses how he fell in love with architecture from a young age but never wanted to work for a corporate firm. Learn as he discusses how filming a documentary in South America and completing a Fulbright Fellowship in Dominican Republic inspired him to start his own company called Module based in Pittsburgh, PA. Get inspired hearing about his mission to tackle big issues by using design to create new jobs and more affordable housing in cities across the country. Learn More About Brian:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/briangaudioModule - https://www.modulehousing.com/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Lucas James as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as he discusses never having a corporate job and starting a digital marketing agency while still in college. Learn how he shifted his priorities from filmmaking to business so he could make a bigger impact on the world. Get inspired hearing how he has scaled his business in addition to starting another venture where he helps other agency owners scale their businesses together.Learn More About Lucas:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucascapestany/Twiz (Digital Marketing Agency) - https://twiz.io/AgencyGo (Community of Agency Owners) - https://agencygo.io/members53119953If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Cody Benedetto as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Cody discusses his experiences working with big tech corporations during the beginning of his career. Learn how he started investing in real estate and building a startup on the side while working a full-time job. Get inspired listening to how he quit his job two months ago to start his own software development agency called Modern Launch to focus more on controlling his schedule and spending more time with his family.Learn More About Cody:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/cody-benedetto/Modern Launch (Software Development Agency) - https://modernlaunch.co/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Amanda Mottola as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen to Amanda discuss her adoption and the impact of finding her birth family in Paraguay. Learn how this led to her quitting her job, getting into politics, and eventually starting her own business. Get inspired listening to her speak about finding her passion and leaving a legacy for her children.Learn More About Amanda:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-mottola-0543441b/Marketing Agency - https://www.otraway.com/Author of “Learning as a Lifelong Journey” - https://amandamottola.square.site/ If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Rob Kyne as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as he discusses his decision to take a sabbatical and drive across the west coast with his family in an RV. Learn how this helped Rob decide to walk away from his business he had been running for 20 years. Get inspired hearing how Rob has been able to spend more time with family, live in the moment, and find new ventures he is passionate about.Learn More About Rob:https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-kyne-6a46228/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Lisa Keitges as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as she discusses how starting her own business allowed her to work with non-profit organizations that align with her values. Learn how she decided to go fully remote by moving from an apartment in New York City to a farmhouse in the Catskill mountains during COVID. Get inspired hearing how quitting her job allowed her to re-evaluate her relationship between work and life.Learn More About Lisa:https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisakeitges/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Steve Krakower as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as Steve discusses how he took everything he learned from his first full-time job to quit and start his own digital marketing agency. Learn about his struggles during the first year and how not having a plan b forced him to push him through the tough times. Get inspired hearing about how Steve scaled Harbor Marketing Agency by finding the right employees and narrowing the focus of their services over the past 5 years. Learn More About Steve:https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-krakower/ https://www.harbormarketingagency.com/If you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!
I am so excited to introduce Brian Chupek as this week's guest on “Why I Quit.” Listen as he discusses quitting his full-time job at Morgan Stanley with no plan as to what was next. Learn how Brian chose starting a real estate business to have more control over his schedule and prioritize the relationships in his life. Get inspired by listening to how he is diversifying his revenue streams by continually exploring new business opportunities.Learn More About Brian:Linkedinbrianchupek@kw.comIf you enjoyed this episode, please either:Sign-up for the weekly newsletter on SubstackFollow and rate on SpotifySubscribe and review on Apple PodcastsFollow and review on Google PodcastsSubscribe on YoutubeIf you have feedback or a new guest idea, please reach out here!