I didn’t leave corporate because I wanted freedom.

I left because I wanted meaning.

For years, my career looked perfect on paper.

A strong company, great projects, a fantastic team.

It was everything I had worked for; the kind of job people called a success story.

And yet, something quietly shifted.

Not because the work was bad, but because I was changing.

I started craving something I couldn’t find in performance reviews or project dashboards: authentic leadership, real human connection, purpose.

I realised that what I valued most — empathy, curiosity, impact — didn’t always fit the culture I was in. I wanted to help people lead with more courage, heart and self-awareness, especially in times of transformation.

And then, almost serendipitously, I met someone with that same drive. Our conversations became ideas, and those ideas turned into a business. It felt like a little voice quietly whispered, “Now.”

The slow whisper of change

Leaving a corporate career isn’t a single decision. It’s a series of quiet moments that build up until they become impossible to ignore.

It was the evenings when I thought who was bothering about the overtime I did.

It was the talks about a new role that looked impressive but left me strangely empty.

It was the meetings where I felt I had to leave half of myself at the door —my curiosity, my empathy, my drive to connect — to fit into a box called professional.

Leaving corporate life wasn’t about walking away from success.

It was about walking toward significance. Toward work that felt more human. Toward impact that reached further than my own desk.

The fear beneath the logic

When people talk about career change, they often talk about courage. But I don’t think courage is the absence of fear. For me, courage was learning to sit with the fear long enough to understand it.

The Rider in me, the rational part, made endless pros and cons lists.

The Elephant, my emotions, was terrified. (If you’ve read Switch by Chip & Dan Heath, you know what I mean.)

My Rider said: “You’re throwing away years of experience.”

My Elephant whispered: “But what if staying is the real risk?”

Eventually, I realised both were right.

I just needed to give them a clearer path forward.

So I started small.

I said yes to one side project that felt meaningful.

I met people who worked with more authenticity than hierarchy.

I built tiny experiments around the life I wanted, not the one I thought I should want.

And slowly, what felt like a leap became a series of grounded steps.

“For things to change, somebody somewhere has to start acting differently.” – Chip Heath, Switch

The moment of letting go

There wasn’t one big cinematic moment where I handed in my badge. It was quieter than that.

Not because I didn’t care. But because I cared too much to not bring my whole self to work and make a meaningful difference, every day.

The week after, I told the senior manager I was leaving.  I still remember his silence. He was not surprised. He reflected and knew he couldn’t change my mind.  Then he said: “It’s a courageous decision I’ll never make and I sincerely wish you all the best.”

What came after

The first months were a mix of exhilaration and panic.  Freedom is intoxicating and disorienting.There’s no playbook for entrepreneurship. No corporate comfort blanket. Just you, your ideas, and a very loud inner critic.

But something beautiful happens when you step outside the golden cage.

You start hearing your own voice again.You learn to trust small wins instead of job titles.You measure success in energy, not in status.

And you begin to understand that growth isn’t about climbing higher…it’s about rooting deeper.

What I know now

Looking back, leaving corporate life wasn’t about escaping something bad. It was about creating space for something true.

It taught me that real change doesn’t start with powerpoints or business cases.

It starts with honesty; the moment you stop pretending that “fine” is enough.

It taught me that you don’t need to have it all figured out to start.You just need to take the next right step, and trust that clarity will meet you along the way.

And it reminded me that leadership, whether in a company or a family, isn’t about having the answers.It’s about having the courage to listen, to learn, and to keep moving forward even when the path is still unfolding.

So here’s to everyone standing at the edge of their own golden cage.

You don’t have to burn it down.

Just start by opening the door —and see what happens when you finally step outside.

And if you find yourself standing there; curious, hesitant, unsure which direction to take; that’s exactly where our individual coaching can help.

Not to push you toward big leaps or radical change, but to help you find clarity in what truly matters to you. To reconnect with your strengths, values and energy. To make space for choices that feel intentional, whether that means changing roles, reframing how you lead, or simply rediscovering what gives you purpose again. Because sometimes, clarity isn’t about finding a new path. It’s about seeing your current one with new eyes.