CYBLN 038: How To Create An Effective Exit Strategy For Leaving The 9-5 World

Most people are working a job that they do not like and even dread going to. Monday mornings are a struggle. What if you had a way to develop a safe and effective exit strategy to do something you love doing?

In this episode my guest Beau Blackwell shares some strategies that worked for him to create his exit strategy in leaving his 9-5 cubicle job.

Beau is an author, entrepreneur, and online marketing veteran. He’s the creator of the Let’s Make Kids’ Books blog, which teaches aspiring children’s book authors how to successfully self-publish their own books. He’s the host of the popular podcast “War on Work”, which features inspiring interviews and advice for people who want to safely ditch their day job.

Prior to leaving the corporate world in June of 2013, he was the Director of Marketing Education for ClickBank, where he taught thousands of online entrepreneurs how to create, sell, and promote digital information products.”

Beau shares how he has always wanted to be an entrepreneur but like so many others, he went the route of getting a job to pay the bills and the more he got into it, the harder it was to get out. He would make excuses such as “it’s not the right time”, “I can’t make the change right now” or “My family needs the stability and my steady income.”

These were just a sampling of the conversations he would have within himself.

For him to eventually leave, he had to come up with a safe and effective exit strategy. This wasn’t easy for him because he was like many, risk averse. Taking such “risks” wasn’t a part of his makeup.

How did he come up with his exit strategy?

STEP 1:

He looked at what he wanted his life to look like in the future and what he wanted to be doing then. He felt the invisible pressure of those who looked at his work situation and thought he had a very cushy job. So he had to push through thinking what “they” might say if they found out he was planning to leave. However, by establishing his why, he was able to push through this.

STEP 2:

He set himself a deadline. Beau shared that he knows himself and without having this deadline, this could drag on for months or even years. Giving himself some type of urgency created by this deadline, moved him into action mode.

STEP 3:

Asking other people for support and advice and being able to lean on them. Some people are afraid of this step because they don’t want to put themselves out there just in case “it” doesn’t work out. They fear what these people might say or think. Therefore, seek out people that you can trust and who believes in you.

STEP 4: 

Surround yourself with those who have a similar mindset as you do. Having the support of like minded and passionate people is critical / crucial. If you think you don’t have any of these people, you need to find them. This will require you to leave your comfort zone. 

Here are additional thoughts Beau shared that were challenging yet practical:

• You remain stuck because of the comfort you find yourself in even though you might be miserable while being comfortable
• The uncertainty and lack of control
• You make statements such as “If I quit I won’t have the certainty of my day job.” The reality is there is no certainty you’ll have your day job tomorrow. This is in itself uncertain.
• There’s an illusion of control that stops people from living the life they so long for; they feel they will lose control or the predictability of what they currently have.
• The fear of starting over; being a beginner again even though what you have built to this point isn’t really making you happy or fulfilled.
• One of the blessing and curses is that you’re going to make mistakes …. course correction is a part of the game. These mistakes gives you a chance to learn valuable lessons
• Take a look at your finances … really have a good picture of it. Once you have done that, you could ask “How could I live differently to make it happen; to save and cut back so that I can pursue the life I desire?”
• The dollars you think you need to replace may not be an actual number but made up of other things that you wouldn’t need if you cut back or was no longer working. Example: buying that daily cup of coffee or lunch, etc.
• You will be modelling to your family how not to live … not dreading going to work, grumbling, complaining, stressed, medicating self because of the stress

Several ways of making money online:

• Coaching
• Consulting
• Freelance
• E-commerce
• Teaching 

One of the questions that I ask is if he had a 6 month window to make a decision before that window closed, what steps would he take to decide how to live out his dream. Here are some of his answers:

• Getting clear on your vision
• Getting clear on your purpose
• What would it take for you to do this in terms of finances – do a financial analysis
• Start to think about your market .. who are you going to serve .. is there money in that ..
• What would you like to do? What does it look like?
• Then figure out your exit strategy .. what steps would you take to leave by the deadline date.

Final word:

• Parting suggestion: get really clear on what you want out of life and why. Most people go through life doing what they do because it’s what they have to do. Getting clear on what you do, and what you’re doing … find the why.
• Saying that you hate your job isn’t an effective strategy for leaving. Instead frame it in a more positive light such as, “I want to feel more energetic about my work”, “I want to make the world a better place”, or “I want to bring value to others making their lives better.”

Books mentioned:

• Finding Your North Star by Martha Beck

Tool / App  mentioned:

• Trello .. management tool which I used to plan my exit

Where to get in touch with Beau Blackwell:

• Contact: Waronwork.com
• Blog: letsmakekidsbooks.com 

 YOUR FEEDBACK

This podcast is very practical and inspiring but also thought provoking. Both Beau and I would love to hear your thoughts on what stood out to you the most within this episode. Leave your comments below.  If you have an idea for a podcast you would like to hear or a question about an upcoming episode, e-mail me.

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