In 2019, I reached a breaking point. The career I’d spent my life chasing was the wrong one for me. And I had a decision to make—stay in the comfortable, or take a leap for something greater.

I spent 4 years in college working hard to become an engineer. Late nights. Long study sessions. And lots of math. All for the hope that I would one day get to work on something that excited me. I wanted to work on technology that mattered. That made a difference. So I put my head down and accepted the grind.

After exams, internships, and many nights in the lab, I landed a job at Lockheed Martin. I’d made it (or so I thought). I soon became numb to the difference I was making. Government work involving lots of red tape, doing things “the way they’ve always been done,” and waking up feeling drained to go to work each day.

As time went by I started asking myself, is this what I want to do the rest of my life?

I had a decision to make. One that could change everything.

I began talking to other engineers who were 10-15 years ahead of the path I was on. The results were terrifying.

Working long hours, never appreciated, unfulfilled. Living for the weekend.

There is a quote from the book, “The Sweaty Startup” by Nick Huber that aligns with this message.

Do I even want to win the game I’m playing?

This is the moment I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I wanted to build my own business.

One that aligned with my goals, mission, and what I wanted out of life. A job built around my life, not the other way around.

So that’s exactly what I did. I worked nights and weekends, working on this new dream. It wasn’t easy and it took a lot out of me. But hey, nothing great ever comes easy.

It took a few years of building and trying different things, but I eventually left my job in August of 2021 and it was the best career move I ever made.

I created the life I wanted.

Now I get to have breakfast with my wife and daughter. I get to work outside on warm summer days. I take days off when I need rest, and put my foot on the gas pedal when I want to.

There are no rules. For some, that’s scary. For me, it’s freeing. The opportunities are endless and almost 4 years later I still get excited about that.

Why does this matter to you?

I don’t think everyone should quit their job and start a business. Actually, most people shouldn’t. While I glamorized a lot here, it’s hard. And there are days that mentally take a toll. In a way you can’t understand unless you are also on your own.

But I do hope this wakes you up to what life could look like when you take control. When you stop letting outside forces dictate your life.

It might be hard, and it might ask you to do something uncomfortable—and that’s okay. In fact, that’s good. It means the reward on the other side is greater.