17 Unpopular Steps I Took to Ditch the Cubicle

(And why you should, too)

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17 Unpopular Steps I Took to Ditch the Cubicle 

(And Why You Should, Too)  

1. Quit at My Peak (When Everyone Said I Was Crazy): 

I walked away from my high-paying corporate job when things were going "great." 

My colleagues thought I’d lost it: "Why leave now?" they’d ask. 

But they didn’t see what I did: 

• the endless travel

• the burnout

• the feeling that I was building someone else’s dream at the cost of my life. 

The lesson? The "right time" to leave is when "you" decide, not when others think it's safe.  

2. Turn to Art (When It Made No Sense): 

After leaving, I didn’t have a "master plan." 

So, I picked up a paintbrush and started creating art. Without any prior painting training.

And it worked!

It wasn’t about making money; it was about reclaiming my freedom. 

Then collectors started to pour in. And in 1.5 years since I started to paint for the first time, I had my group exhibition in Paris.

People told me I was wasting my potential when I started doing this. I can still hear one of relatives saying: “Are you selling painting now? But you had such a nice job!”

But you know what? Art gave me the mental space to reset, to reconnect with what "I" wanted, not what others expected. 

Your first move after quitting doesn’t have to make sense to anyone but you.  

3. Fail, Learn, and Ignore the "Stick to One Thing" Advice: 

I tried "everything"— Etsy, drop-shipping, online coaching. 

Most of these ventures failed. Badly. 

The "experts" say to niche down and focus on one thing. 

But that’s terrible advice if you don’t even know what you’re good at yet. I needed to test the waters, to explore before committing to a single path. 

And guess what? Each failure was another lesson getting me closer to success.  

It took me 3 years to go from “I have no idea what I’m doing” to “my life is great”, and it was totally worth it.

4. Embrace the Mess (Perfection Is a Lie): 

I was so used to the corporate mindset of perfect plans and polished projects. 

Let me tell you: perfection is the biggest lie. My journey was messy—half-formed ideas, scattered projects, failed launches. 

But I embraced it. 

I posted imperfect content.

Launched things before I felt ready.

And learned as I went. 

If you wait for perfection, you’ll wait forever.  

5. Turn to Media and Get Featured (Yes, You Can Pitch Yourself): 

Early on I reached out to media outlets, pitched my story, and yes—got featured in Forbes. And in Entrepreneur, CMO Today, CEO Weekly, and many more high authority media. I am now a source for media inquiries and have helped many of my clients achieve the same.

No PR team, no fancy connections, just me. 

Want to know more about this? Leave a comment with your question:

The myth that you need a publicist to get featured is "exactly that"—a myth. People don’t know your story until "you" put it out there.  

Media exposure has generated over 14% of my income since I started my portfolio career.

6. Monetize Before You’re ‘Ready’: 

The biggest lie? "Give everything away for free forever to build an audience." 

I launched my initial blog with free content but added a paid tier early on. I was terrified—what if no one signed up? But here’s the thing: people value what they "pay for." 

The moment I charged, I saw real commitment from my audience. 

The lesson? If you don’t value your work, why would anyone else?  

7. Save Up (But Not a Fortune): 

I had some savings—about three months’ worth of expenses. 

Was it enough? Barely. 

But guess what? 

Comfort kills progress. 

If I’d waited to save more, I’d still be in that cubicle. 

Sometimes you need a bit of discomfort to push you into action.  

8. Freelance to Prove Your Skills (Not Just to Make Money): 

My first freelance gig paid pennies, and I almost turned it down. I actually started to earn my first bucks as a new “entrepreneur” by offering Fiverr gigs. $5 Fiverr gigs. 

But I took it on to prove to myself that my skills were marketable outside of corporate life. 

It wasn’t about the money; it was about validating my value in the real world. 

3 months in and those $5 gigs started to transform into larger projects. That’s how I got my first recurring clients and the most important thing: my first referrals and reviews as a freelancer.

I got my first $10K project from one of those clients 6 months later and that’s how I started my media & personal brand agency. I still keep that Fiverr account and offer occasional gigs under anonymity - just to keep me on my toes :)

Don’t dismiss small gigs—they’re the stepping stones to bigger opportunities.  

9. Learn to Sell Yourself (Even If It Makes Others Uncomfortable): 

Self-promotion feels "cringe" because we’ve been conditioned to think humility means silence. 

I had to "unlearn" that. 

I started pitching my services, explaining why my journey and skills were valuable.

The first step was to clean up my socials and pick a platform I was enjoying. 

I picked LinkedIn at the time, “disconnected” all my previous colleagues who wouldn’t be in my target audience and started to promote my services and showcase my clients’ results. 

Very soon I started to also tell my story - raw, unfiltered.

It made some people uncomfortable. But guess what? They’re not the ones paying my bills.   

I got the best out of it for 2 years until I moved to full time blogging and consulting.

10. Promote Like It’s a Full-Time Job: 

I plastered my services link "everywhere." 

People said, "Isn’t that too much?" 

Too much for "who?" 

This is my life, my income. 

If you’re not shameless about promoting your work, nobody else will be. 

Stop asking for permission to talk about what you’re building.  

11. Diversify (Despite the "Niche Down" Gurus): 

Everyone says, "Find your niche and stick to it." 

Nope. I diversified. 

I wrote, consulted, launched guides, got on stage at conferences, and more.

Why? Because relying on one income stream is riskier than spreading your bets. 

It's like investing: you don’t put all your money into a single stock. Your career shouldn’t be any different.  

12. Turn Rejection Into Redirection (No, It’s Not Failure): 

I got rejected—"a lot." 

Clients, collaborations, even readers unsubscribing. 

But here’s the truth: rejection is the universe’s way of redirecting you. 

I took every “no” as feedback, adjusted my strategy, and moved forward. 

Failure only exists if you let rejection be the end of your story.  

13. Give Away Value Freely (But With Intention): 

I shared tons of free content, but it wasn’t random. It was "strategic." 

I gave away my best insights to attract the right audience—the ones who would see the value and eventually pay for more. 

Free content isn’t about charity; it’s about building trust and priming your audience for what’s next.  

14. Work Harder Than Ever (But This Time, for Yourself): 

Quitting corporate didn’t mean I worked less; it meant I worked differently. 

Late nights, weekends, skipped social events—it was exhausting but exhilarating. 

Yes, I put in more hours than in my 9-to-5, but this time, it was for "me." 

The hustle is real, but it’s a hustle with purpose.  

15. Leap Without a Full Blueprint: 

I didn’t have a grand plan. 

I left with a very small cushion, a minute audience, but fierce determination. 

Did it feel risky? Absolutely. 

But sometimes, you need to leap first and build your wings on the way down. 

The safety of "knowing all the steps" is a corporate myth.  

16. Adapt and Change Relentlessly: 

My content was a hot mess in the beginning. 

I wrote about marketing, mindset, portfolio careers—anything that felt relevant. 

And before that?

I sold my art, created wearable art, brand portfolio, design, crowdfunding consulting, even board game design.

The "experts" would say I lacked focus. 

But each move got me closer to my niche, closer to what people "needed." and to what I really enjoyed doing.

What is that for me? Helping people grow. As simple as that.

Don’t fear change; fear staying stagnant.  

17. Celebrate Every Win (Even If It’s Small): 

My first $5 on Fiverr was a bigger celebration than any corporate bonus I’d ever received. 

Why? Because it was "mine." My work, my effort, my value. 

I felt needed and validated and the thrill of gaining your first bucks without having a big company putting that in your lap, the thrill of gaining that first client - that’s priceless.

When you build something from scratch, every little win is a validation. 

So throw a mini-party for each victory.  

Thinking of ditching your cubicle? 

It won’t be neat, and it definitely won’t be easy. But it’ll be "yours." 

If you’re ready to reclaim your career, share this post and start building on your terms.  

P.S. Which step are you ready to take "today?"

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