One year since I quit Corporate America: It still sucks, but I’m happy!

One year after leaving Corporate America, I’ve found that life’s messiness beats the corporate grind any day.

Writing pieces like this is always difficult for me. It’s mentally draining to be vulnerable. But I know how important my words have been in the past. So not only do I feel a responsibility to continue writing about topics like these, but it is rewarding when it’s done, even if I do feel pooped.

A little unbelievably, it’s been one year since I quit working in Corporate America.

I want to do a little ditty about what I’ve learned about myself this past year. I also want to note that this column isn’t designed to give you some secrets. This is strictly my experience, my POV. But if it’s helpful to hear it from a regular guy like me and not some influencer on social media, then it will be worth every word I write.

One of the biggest realizations I’ve had since leaving Corporate America is how little my opinion about my former employer has changed. If anything, I’m more disgusted that I worked there and that there are people I respected who continue to enable such a toxic environment.

Now, obviously, I’m no longer on the inside. I don’t keep tabs with anyone, so I don’t actually know how much has changed. But I am pretty confident that a culture as vampiric as that one cannot change that much in a year, especially when they don’t even know (or care to know) the harm they are doing to people.

I think about the complaints I heard from hiring managers—we purposely withhold information so people can’t advance, there isn’t any good L&D, how are we supposed to hire in X city when no one has that skillset there, how this C-suite executive is mucking up the recruitment process, but no one can tell him to stop—and I should have known these were major red flags right away. To be clear, they shook me, but I didn’t realize how deep the discontentment ran. It was constant drama, from everything about who to hire, to the RTO agreements, to who ran the company — the global headquarters overseas or the bigwigs here in the States.

Think about being in that toxic of a situation day after day. That’s where… let’s see… 85% of my negative stress came from?

The worst part is that so much of what I listed happens to friends and family members in their own jobs. Maybe not all at once, but the whole “empathy” thing that people gained during COVID-19 is long gone. Ultra-capitalism is back. Fuck you, and fuck your feelings. The CEOs and owners of America’s businesses gave it as good a try to change as Donald Trump did after his first assassination attempt.

I know people who—all in the past year—couldn’t swap out PTO for bereavement when an immediate family member passed, or had to go into work during a hurricane, or was told that the way they used HR wasn’t the intended use of HR (lol), or people who got hired only to be laid off weeks later.

I mean, c’mon, people. WHAT ARE WE DOING?!

The ironic part is I might still be recruiting if I had taken the other offer I got simultaneously last year. I remember how torn I was, and ultimately I went for the money grab even though I had a bad feeling about the culture based on my interview experience. Learn from me: trust your gut!

It’s a sad, sad, sad narrative on our culture that this is where things stand late in 2024. I shudder to think about what the working world may look like by the time my daughters are old enough.

Speaking of daughters, this past year has flown by in large part because of ALL of the TIME I’ve gotten to spend with them.

When I quit my corporate job, part of the equation was to stabilize our rapidly declining childcare — let’s say 10% of my worries. So between how messed up Corporate America is and the imploding childcare system, boom — 95% of my toxic stress right there.

I’m not going to lament about our experience or the childcare industry as a whole, but I again feel pretty confident in writing that the system is broken.

But the positive that came out of quitting was the time I spent with Stella and Arya. We did everything together. From splashing around at the water park and dancing to our favorite bands in the living room to making protein balls for snacks, those moments were filled with joy, laughter, and even the occasional cry. The girls grew right in front of my eyes this past year, and that is something I don’t take for granted. I know I will be grateful for that opportunity for the rest of my life.

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Let’s be real: being a full-time caregiver hasn’t been “easy” by any means. I’m exhausted most days. I get irritated by the girls, and they get sick of being with me all the time. But I know the bond we’ve all developed is something that will carry on. I wouldn’t have gotten that if I had stuck with the old corporate job.

I finished regular therapy this past summer. I basically went a full year — from July 2023 to June 2024. I learned how to be kinder to myself. I learned how to better manage my time. I learned how to say no. And I learned what my true priorities are, professionally and personally. I am so glad I went back to therapy and that my medication has been helpful, too. Those were huge steps to getting back to being me.

I have to give all the flowers to Christine for floating us financially while we go through this season of life. Point blank, I don’t get a chance to do all of this — including all of my writing ventures — without Christine. So not only has she done that, but she continues to kill it at her own business, and we still find ways to have fun, like how we’re headed to see Trampled by Turtles play this weekend here in Charlotte!

This is all mostly been a big ramble, so please excuse me if it’s not totally cohesive. But this year, I fell back in love with baseball, I created a compost with my daughters, Stella and I planted a garden, and she grew one cucumber that was delicious. We’ve faced parental challenges with separation anxiety and big life changes. We made lots of new friends, I cut back big time on my social media usage, and I’m feeling stronger and healthier from a physical health perspective than I have in years!

I know this column started dark. I had to throw that dart because I want to remind people how destructive Corporate America can be. But the positive experiences I’ve gained from being in a non-traditional role have made me infinitely happy.

I recognize that my journey isn’t the solution for everyone; some may thrive in a corporate environment, while others struggle. I’ve learned that prioritizing mental health and personal well-being over professional accolades is crucial.

As for what’s next, I want my rock & roll contemporary fiction novel, Papilio, to thrive and flourish like the butterfly it’s named after. I will continue to refine that manuscript and find ways to connect with my community — tighten my net, as I call it.

I expect to do a lot more baseball writing through October; then that will slow down, and I'll likely do a post a week about college football in some capacity. Otherwise, I'll be home with the kids, enjoying all the time I can with them while I have the opportunity.

Until next time… take it easy and we’ll see ya further on up the road!