Episode #371
Episode 371: Should I Quit My 9-to-5?
Should you quit your 9-to-5 and start a business or build your idea while you’re still employed? For aspiring entrepreneurs, that question can feel HUGE. You’re craving more freedom, creativity, or control, but leaving a stable paycheck can feel like jumping off a financial cliff. But what if you don’t have to choose between playing it safe and burning it all down? In this episode of Workday Playdate, Erin shares a five-step approach for quitting your 9-to-5, starting a business, and making the leap into entrepreneurship with more clarity. Drawing from her own experience building improve it! while working a full-time recruiting job, Erin breaks down how to test your idea, understand your finances, involve your support system, and create a gradual path toward self-employment. Instead of asking, “Should I quit my job?” Erin invites you to ask a better question: What can I build before I leave? Inside This Episode: The “Stay or Go” Gut Check: Use a simple gut check to understand whether you’re ready to leave your job or just ready for something to change. Build Before You Bail: Why you don’t need to quit your 9-to-5 before you start building your business. Erin shares how she built improve it! while working full time. Know Your Numbers: Get clear on your monthly expenses, income needs, and financial runway before making a career transition. Bring Your People In: Why talking openly with your boss, partner, friends, or trusted supporters can make a big career decision feel less scary and more strategic. Make the Leap Less Leap-y: Explore part-time work, freelancing, side hustles, and small business pilots as ways to test entrepreneurship before going all in. Start Small, Learn Fast: You don’t need the perfect business plan. Build the smallest viable version, get feedback, and let the real-world data guide your next move. What to Do Now: Ask “What Can I Build Before I Leave?” Identify one small piece of your business or idea you can test while you still have the stability of your current job. Do the Math: Calculate your monthly expenses, income target, and financial runway. A dream gets a lot less scary when you know your numbers. Run a Tiny Experiment: Test your idea with a small offer, pilot, freelance project, or first customer. You don’t need to quit to find out if there’s demand. Talk to Your People: Bring a trusted person into the conversation. You don’t have to make a major career decision alone or in secret! Build Before You Bail: Remember: quitting your 9-to-5 isn’t the first step. Sometimes, it’s the next step after you’ve built enough evidence to make the leap. Your Freebie Take the quiz: What’s Your Leadership Style and Your Next Business Move? Find out how your leadership style drives motivation, and walk away with 3 specific ideas you can start building into your business right away. Workshop mentioned in the episode: Taking Initiative & Creative Risks Connect with Erin Diehl x improve it! Leadership Playground online membership community Erin’s website Erin’s Instagram Erin’s TikTok Erin’s LinkedIn improve it!’s website improve it!’s Instagram Connect with Erin Diehl Learn more about Workday Playdate: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/podcast-page Book Erin to speak: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/keynote-speaker Workshops & Team Experiences: https://www.learntoimproveit.com/experiential-training Learn more about Erin: https://www.itserindiehl.com/meet-erin For more information on improve it! visit www.learntoimproveit.com . Loved this episode? If this conversation made you think differently about work, leadership, or building joyful teams, please follow Workday Playdate on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who could use more play in their workday.
