How to transition from a full-time job you hate to opening your own business

You don’t need to hate your day job to dream about something better but let’s face it, many of us do.  According to a recent Gallup pole only 13% of people worldwide are engaged in their job.  If you count yourself among the 87% disgruntled and disengaged, this article is for you.

I started my career as a high school teacher 10 years ago.  This year I rolled up my teaching certificate and hung out my entrepreneur’s shingle as CEO of PantybyPost.com.  This transition from a professional full-time educator to 24/7 entrepreneur happened over seven years.  Don’t be discouraged by the longer lead time, there are many ways to change jobs, and my hope is that perhaps my approach will resonate with some of you.

While my brother is an entrepreneur (shout out to L’Abattoir – one of the best restaurants in Canada), I come from a family of professionals and am descended from immigrants.  My approach to building a career has been more conservative, and my route to creating financial security for myself more predictable. Until now…

After experiencing low job satisfaction as a teacher, I began to look elsewhere for fulfillment.  My best friend encouraged me to pursue my dream of Panty by Post, and before long my side job of being an entrepreneur became what I wished I could spend all of my daytime hours on.

Being a female entrepreneur even just seven years ago was a lonely place.  It’s amazing how far we have come. Starting your own business is in vogue which makes finding community easier, and as women, sharing our stories and passions is so exciting.  Many of my male colleagues urged me to quit my full-time gig to launch my business, and I’ve always been perplexed by this approach.  As a single woman in one of the most expensive cities in the world, how would I pay my mortgage and eat with the slim pickings of a start-up environment? I’m sure you wonder the same.

My path is the middle path to growing a business.  It involves some risks but they are calculated and conservative.  I also have a three-year leave from my job as a safety net (which is a blessing and a curse, but more on that later).  It might mean your surge to growth looks less like a hockey stick but also permits you to sleep under a roof and exists on something other then macaroni.

What I did was remain in my day job, reduce my spending and work tirelessly to get my business off the ground. My hours were pretty much 24/7 but I was building my future – my exit from teaching – so it was less like work and more like my lifeline.  Without the option to lean on someone else to pay the bills, I am proud that year-after-year I focused on the day when I could reduce my work hours as a teacher and afford to be a full-time CEO of my own company. After Year #5, I reduced my hours to three-quarters and then part time until finally I took the big leap and became a full-time entrepreneur.

PowHERhouse:  Congrats Natalie! (cheering enthusiastically, high-fives all around

It’s true that my current pension at my post as founder of Panty by Post is $0 but I project that will change.  My future looks a lot less like the one I imagined, and actually I’m grateful.  We just don’t know what the world has in store for us.  While it’s good to reflect and also to plan, working on your own business can also be very zen.  You must learn from your past mistakes, plan for the future but really stay in the moment and work on each day as deeply as possible.  When you acknowledge that you are not happy in your work, it’s possible for you start working towards something better.  Don’t wait to do it, but it is okay to take more time to get there.  It worked for me.

How did you get the idea for Panty by Post? It’s a great one – what was it’s brain-child or impetus?

Panty by Post is an idea that came from my summer in France.  One summer in 2009 I was really struck by how beautiful the women are in France (the French mystique!), and I wanted to spread this beauty and self-respect all over the world.  I decided the best approach was to send what is quintessentially French lingerie in little surprise boxes!  Panty by Post was born!  The French are actually my third biggest market! Imagine that!

How do you find the courage to ‘keep going’?

The more I read about the entrepreneurial mind, the more I see there’s no other job for me but to be my own boss.  I never really enjoyed working for other people in any kind of system.  I am the kind of person that enjoys a different routine every day! It seems the strangest thing because most people crave what is known and nothing unexpected. I’m the opposite! While I love to be in control, I don’t want the hum-drum of daily life.  Working for myself allows me to be the master of my own destiny.  The harder I work, the better I feel and the bigger my company grows.  C’est tres fantastique! My courage is about loving each day.  About working hard and trusting that with the low points, comes the high again.

What do you do to keep yourself feeling confident, energized, and consistently powHERful day after day?

In order to feel good day to day, I always have tasks that I can complete perfectly and then have that instant reward. If sales are slow one day, I pick a task in the office or at home and complete it. Voila! I feel better. If you can’t make 25 orders, well at least you can hand wash the floor and organize your pantry!

The other strategy I have (which is less OCD – ha! ha!) is to pepper my week with one or two meetings with colleagues that inspire me.  I have friends in similar businesses and we get together, share inspiration and just enjoy good coffee and a scone.  There’s nothing better then good social interaction to re-ignite passion and positivity.

If all that fails, I go to yoga.

Do you have any other favourite lifestyle tips or strategies that you’d like to share?

Right now my best tip is about diet.  I am eating protein and savory food for breakfast.  I find I don’t crash in the afternoon or experience ‘foggy brain’ in a big meeting like I used too.  Up the protein and veg, and lower the sugar, carbs and fruit. [PowHERhouse:  Amen!]  The other lifestyle tip is about staying positive and far away from gossip.  [PowHERhouse:  So agree!]  The lighter you feel physically and emotionally, the more energy you have to pump to your beautiful brain.

Favourite app or time-saving tool?

I love an app called Studio. You can swish your favorite picture into a glorious finished product with sayings, filters, decorations and more.  You basically have a graphic designer in your phone!  I also use Automiles to chart the trips I take in my car for work.  Not sexy but hey, it’s a tool entrepreneurs all need!

A hobby or passion we don’t know about?

I think my hobbies have suffered since I started my business.  I probably need to get a few more hobbies but to be honest, isn’t dating is kinda like a hobby (smiling)? It takes effort and time – the two elements most entrepreneurs need to ration for their main priority – their business.  That’s kind of a funny answer, but it’s a true one. I’m dating a great guy now, so with any luck I’ll have to find a new hobby.  He’s a keeper 😉

Favourite quote?

My brother owns a restaurant, and we share a lot of similar characteristics.  He thinks I work too much which is pretty funny coming from someone as driven as he is.  He sent me this quote, and I think it’s true for both of us and my dad too.

Persistence.

“Press on; nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.  Talent will not; nothing in the world is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts.

Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.

-Ray Kroc

If there was one women you could meet and pick her brain for an hour, who would it be and why?

Hilary Clinton would be a great choice.  I would ask Hilary life lesson stuff – like how she knew she was destined to be a leader? What school was like, how she excelled and then now – what it’s like to compete in the big leagues at the White House.  I’d want to know how she sustains her focus and what keeps her going every day.  I really admire her as a person and all that she has accomplished.

What’s your Mission?

My mission is to continue to enjoy and relish in building Panty by Post.  I plan on feeling good about what I do every day – to not waste a single moment, and to savour all my friendships and work relationships.  My mission is to create more jobs and more opportunities for women in Canada.

This article was provided by guest contributor, Natalie Grunberg.

With a life that revolves around her passion for her company, Natalie brings her tremendous energy to her position as President of Panty by Post.  Her passion for business has made her a fast expert in her field.  She draws on her past careers for her big ideas and project management skills.  She is known for her vigorous work ethic and works tirelessly to manage, run and develop her growing business.  Beyond working, walking her dog Henri and practicing her boxing moves, she enjoys indulging in French food and wine.

Twitter: @nataliegrunberg, @PantybyPost