I quit my corporate job to become an influencer. It’s the riskiest thing I’ve ever done — here are 5 things I learned.

• In 2024, Keara Callahan quit her corporate job to become a full-time social media influencer.

• He said he worked harder than before, but he made more money and was happier.

• Callahan shared five things he learned from leaving a corporate job.

Keara Callahan thought she was doing everything right. He went to college, got a degree in economics, and got a well-paying job as a government technology consultant.

But he still felt like something was missing. Watching endless TikTok videos of young people traveling and living freely deepened this feeling even further.

After breaking up with her long-term boyfriend in 2024 moving back in with familycallahan quit your corporate job – a decision he wasn’t too sure about at the time.

“I’m very risk averse, but I made my report and follow social media full time“This was probably the riskiest move I’ve ever made,” Callahan, 28, told Business Insider.

Nearly three years after leaving her job, Callahan is now a full-time content creator with more than 300,000 followers on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. Content, newsletter and podcastIt is mostly geared towards women and focuses on travel and personal development.

Callahan said being your own boss is challenging but worth it. Even though he puts in more hours than at his last job, he makes more money and feels fulfilled.

Here are five things he’s learned since leaving the corporate world and starting over:

Always have a backup plan

Although Callahan was successful in his corporate career, he knew better than to get too comfortable.

“We talk about corporate jobs as if it’s a guarantee that you’ll do well, but that’s not always true,” he said. “There are layoffsrestructurings, changes in structure and changes in the economy.”

Before leaving her corporate job, Callahan had already begun building her social media following and making money from brand deals. He said the extra income made the jump more possible.

“Is running my own business risky? 110%,” he added. “But one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that I also prefer things to happen, just like I did when I worked for a corporate company. It’s important not to rely on things that are completely out of your control.”

Don’t be afraid of failure or judgment

Callahan said fear of failure had held him back for too long, both professionally and personally.

“Like most of us, I was quite young when I entered the corporate world and was afraid that if I did something wrong I would be fired or fired,” he said. “Fear held me back in both ways: fear of failure at work and fear of being judged for doing something outside of the norm outside of work.”

But since leaving his corporate job, Callahan said he’s found new confidence in himself. his decision.

“Our brains are wired to protect us from scary things, even if those scary things are productive or lead to something better on the other side,” he said. “No matter what the fear, just take a step.”

Being your own boss requires discipline

While it’s nice to imagine not having a boss breathing down your neck to complete your tasks on time, working for yourself requires you to create your own structure and hold yourself accountable.

“In a job, you have a specific role and certain tasks you have to do on a daily or weekly basis,” Callahan said. “When you work for yourself, you have the same things, but there is no boss above you telling you what to do or checking in to make sure the work is done.”

Callahan admitted he was struggling balance work and leisure after first quitting his full-time job.

“I had all the time in the world, so I would tell myself, ‘I’ll do this later,'” he said. “Then later it came and a week went by, then two weeks.”

Callahan drew on his corporate experience to get himself back on track. more structured daily planned.

His days now follow a routine: From 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. or 10 a.m., Callahan focuses on himself, doing things like exercising, before sitting down for work. Each day of the week is also designated for a specific task. Mondays are for recording content and working on the podcast, client meetings take place Tuesday through Thursday, and Fridays are usually reserved for a day off or a half day.

There’s no shame in asking for help

Callahan said she had a hard time asking for help or voicing concerns while working at the company.

“I always felt like I needed to play a corporate role,” he said. “Depending on where you work in your organization, you may not feel comfortable asking for help because you may be judged or viewed as inadequate.”

Now working for himself, Callahan focused less on titles and hierarchy and more on learning from others.

“I was able to open up 10,000 times more and get the help I needed for my business and learn how to grow and create,” she said.

Be confident

Deciding when get away from work It was something Callahan had been thinking about for a long time. Looking back, he said he wishes he had made the move sooner.

“The biggest thing for me is timing,” he said. “There will never be a right time for anything. I know it sounds so cliché and frustrating, but I’d rather bite the bullet now and figure it out along the way.”

While she used to worry about what her friends, family, and colleagues thought of her, Callahan now knows the only person she has to please is herself.

“I don’t care what others think about me, my journey, or my trajectory,” he said. “I’m swimming and making a more livable wage than before. Everything is working fine and will continue to work from now on.”

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