Leaving Corporate
What Day One Sounds Like Now
I went back and read my first post. I wasn't expecting it to feel like reading someone else.
The One I Sent First
I sent the email. Now there are three more names. I'm starting to understand why I sent the one I did.
The Third Monday
I said Monday three times. Today was the third one.
What I Thought This Was For
I started this blog as a commitment device. Forty-two days in, I'm not sure that's still the whole answer.
What the Subject Line Is
I spent Saturday morning writing an email I did not send. The subject line is where I found out what I have actually been avoiding.
What Belongs to the Badge
I watched a meeting room defer to me instead of someone smarter. I still cannot tell how much of my authority belongs to me.
Ready Is Not the Same as Going
I have legal clearance, a backward map, and a list of six names. I have not made a single call.
The Email I Held for Thirty-One Hours
The attorney gave me the clearance I needed. Then I came home, made a sandwich, and finally wrote Sandra back.
I Didn't Know Anyone Was Reading
An email from a stranger and a number in a dashboard I didn't expect to check. It turns out people were reading this while I was writing for nobody.
What I'm Actually Asking the Attorney
I've been preparing for Tuesday's attorney meeting all weekend. Eight questions written down. Still working on the ninth.
The Real Deadline
The attorney's scheduling email arrived at 8:47 this morning. The consultation is Tuesday. Now I have to figure out what I'm actually going to say.
The Names I've Been Keeping in My Head
I've been carrying approximately seven names around for four months, maybe eight, without writing any of them down.
The Intake Form
I knew what I needed to do next. I had known for 48 hours. I opened the form and sat there for eight minutes before I typed anything.
What Was in the Box
I went to the guest room closet. The box was where I said it was. Twenty-four years of paperwork and one letter I had completely forgotten.
The Agreement I Signed in 2002
I finally Googled the one thing I'd been avoiding. The answer was: go find the document you signed 24 years ago, which you do not currently have.
The List I Won't Write Down
I have Googled almost everything about this plan. There is one thing I have not Googled, and the gap is telling.
The Question I Hadn't Prepared For
Doug's questions finally came Wednesday night. Most of them I had answers for. One of them I didn't.
Working Backwards from November
November 14 felt like a long time away until I started from November and worked the other way.
The Part I Left Out
Sunday night I told Doug everything. Except the one specific thing that would make it real.
What If the Story Is the Pitch
I couldn't write the one-pager. So I wrote the $2.2 million story instead. It raised a harder question.
Why I Can't Write My Own One-Pager
I've written hundreds of these for other people. Turns out writing one for yourself is a completely different problem.
What I Think About in Meetings Now
Monday standup. My manager talked about getting ahead of a renewal. I nodded and thought about pricing.
What My Mother Doesn't Ask
My mom called at 10:15, same as every Sunday. I said work was fine. She didn't press.
What I Said When He Asked
Doug asked what I was working on last night. I said email. It wasn't email.
I Already Did the Math
Six months ago I built a spreadsheet to figure out if I could afford to leave. I haven't opened it since.
What Nine Ideas Look Like in Daylight
I've been carrying a phone note with nine business ideas for eight months. Today I finally read it.
Why I'm Finally Starting This
I've had this idea open in a mental tab for about a year and a half. Today I finally opened it. I don't know what I'm building yet. That's the point.