Keara Callahan thought she was doing everything right. She went to college, earned a degree in economics, and landed a well-paid government job as a technology consultant.
But she still felt like something was missing. Watching countless TikTok videos of young people traveling and living freely only deepened this feeling.
In 2024, after breaking up with her longtime boyfriend and moving back in with her parents, Callahan left her corporate job — a decision she wasn't entirely sure about at the time.
“I'm quite a risk-averse person, but I put in my notice and decided to pursue social media full-time,” Callahan, 28, told Business Insider. “It was probably the riskiest decision I've ever made,” she added.
Nearly three years after leaving her job, Callahan is now a full-time online creator with over 300,000 followers. followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Its content, as well as its newsletter and podcast, are aimed mainly at women and focus on traveling and self-development.
Callahan said becoming her own boss was a challenge, but it was worth it. Even though she works more hours than in her previous job, she earns more and feels fulfilled.
Here are five things she learned after leaving the corporate world and starting over.
Always have a contingency plan
Even though Callahan was doing well in her corporate career, she knew she shouldn't feel too confident.
“We almost talk about working in a corporation as if it was a guarantee of security, but that's not always true,” she said. “There are layoffs, reorganizations, changes in structure and fluctuations in the economy,” she added.
Before she left her job, Callahan had already started building her social media presence and earning money from brand collaborations. She said this extra income made her decision easier.
— Is doing something on your own risky? 110 percent – he said. — But one of the most important lessons I learned is that it's worth having something extra, just like I had when working in a corporation. It's important not to rely entirely on things outside your control, she emphasized.
Don't be afraid of failure or the judgment of others
Callahan said the fear of failure held her back for a long time — both professionally and personally.
— I was quite young when I entered the corporate world, like most of us, and I was afraid that if I did something wrong, I would be fired or fired. “Fear blocked me on both fronts: fear of failure at work and fear of being judged outside of work for doing something out of the ordinary,” she said.
But since leaving the corporation, Callahan has gained new confidence in her decision-making.
— Our brains are wired to protect us from scary things — even though those things may be fruitful or lead to something better on the other side — Whatever the fear — just take the step, she advised.
Read also: Work for 40-year-olds? My advice: focus on the “3C” rule
Being your own boss requires discipline
While it's nice to imagine not having a boss to supervise your work, being self-employed requires creating your own structure and responsibility.
“At work, you have a specific role and specific tasks to complete on a daily or weekly basis,” Callahan said. – When you work for yourself, you have the same responsibilities, but there is no boss above you telling you what to do or checking that the job is done. – she noticed. She admitted that at the beginning it was difficult for her to maintain a balance between work and free time after leaving her job.
“I had plenty of time, so I said to myself, 'I'll do it later,' she said. Then “later” came, a week passed, then two.
To get back on track, she used her experience from corporate work and created a more structured daily schedule. These days, her days have a regular routine: From about 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 or 10 a.m., she takes care of herself — like exercising — and then goes to work. Each day of the week is dedicated to different tasks. Mondays are for recording content and working on the podcast, from Tuesday to Thursday there are calls with clients, and Fridays are usually free or shorter.
There is no shame in asking for help
Callahan said that in her corporate job, she had trouble asking for help or reporting problems.
“I felt like I always had to fake something,” she said. — Depending on where you are in the organization, you may not feel comfortable asking for help because you may be judged or considered inferior, she admitted.
Now that she works for herself, she focuses less on titles and hierarchy and more on learning from others.
“I'm able to open up 10,000 times more and get the help I need to run my business and learn to grow and create,” she said.
Have faith in yourself
The decision to leave her job was something Callahan thought long and hard about. Looking back, she says she wishes she had done it sooner.
“The biggest issue for me is timing,” she said. — There will never be a perfect time for anything. “I know it sounds cliché and annoying, but I'd rather just take the risk now and figure it out along the way,” she added.
Although she used to worry about the opinions of her friends, family and co-workers, she now knows that the only person she has to please is herself.
“I don't care what others think about me, my path or the direction I'm going,” she said. — I support myself and earn more than before. Everything is going well and will continue to go well, she concluded.
