Ever feel boxed in by the daily grind? I sure did. For years, I juggled my business as a side hustle while working as a Sr. Data Analyst at a major NJ corporation. I was the go-to doer—always executing projects, reporting results, and playing it safe. But deep down, I knew I was meant for more. I craved the freedom to run my business with a full bird’s-eye view, not just as someone ticking off tasks.
My Personal Journey From Corporate Doer to Entrepreneurial Leader
I spent years trying different variations of my business, all while keeping it under the radar. In 2018, I finally niched down to what I’m doing now, but growth? It was slow—non-existent, really. I quickly realized that real growth could only happen once I left the corporate environment that kept me self-censored. I couldn’t market my ideas on social media without feeling like my corporate peers were hovering over every move. I felt boxed in because most of my energy went into keeping projects afloat and proving my worth to management.
In early 2023, I made the jump. I traded in the structure of my corporate role for the unpredictable freedom of entrepreneurship. I shifted into full-time business mode, dove headfirst into marketing, and came face-to-face with my blind spots—especially the ones I’d been too scared to acknowledge.
Understanding the Corporate Mindset
In corporate, my role was all about following orders and reporting results. I executed projects, tracked initiatives, and made sure everything was on point for the higher-ups. That same doer mindset carried over to my business. I wrote my marketing plan and handled everything from setting up landing pages to running email campaigns.
That first year, when I decided to outsource to a digital marketing firm, it felt super risky. The project failed, and I lost a giant chunk of money. I knew I had blind spots—not only because I was still learning but also because I wasn’t tapping into all the skills I already knew. Outsourcing my digital marketing was risky because I didn’t assess the project thoroughly and critically. In a corporate setting, any major investment is worth assessing formally on paper. And if a major investment went south, I’d be the one to generate a couple of slides explaining the failure. But here, in the unstructured world of entrepreneurship, I did neither. Why? I didn’t have that clearly defined role–I was just a big ball of putty, trying to figure it out as I went. I decided to outsource by “trusting the process” in a big old vacuum of nothingness.
Embracing a New Perspective
After the rocky start, I knew something had to change. I decided it was time to set my “become goals,” a game-changing move that shifted my thinking to the big three: CEO, CFO, and CMO.
- CEO: From now on, I had to think long-term and set a vision for my business—simply moving tasks wasn’t enough.
- CFO: This was the toughest nut to crack because I’d never held myself accountable for my financial data. I was too scared of those zeros in my bank account, but looking at them was the only way forward.
- CMO: I needed to step up my marketing game, not just execute but create strategies that made an impact.
I already had the operations part down (I guess that’s my inner COO, thanks to my corporate days). But suddenly, I was expected to think like a CEO in every decision, scrutinize financial details as a CFO, and craft killer marketing strategies like a true CMO. I didn’t exactly know how I would become these things, but making each an intentional goal kept me in that mindset when I approached every project on the surface. With each challenge or project, I asked myself, what would a CMO or CFO do? This approach started broadening my vision and changing my decisions.
Unraveling the Old Mindset
The biggest breakthrough came when I finally sat down with my numbers. I set up my books, started tracking quarterly profit and loss statements, and really faced the hard truths in my financial data. Those numbers were telling me something loud and clear: I wasn’t going to get anywhere if I ignored the financial facts. It was a scary, yet liberating moment.
I learned that the fear of the numbers was really the fear of accountability—of having to ask myself, “How are you really going to make money?” Once I got comfortable with seeing those zeros, I began setting performance-driven goals. I turned my fear into fuel for change. The data wasn’t just about what was lacking; it was telling me to wake up and let the CMO in me take charge.
Leveraging Tools for Transformation
Transitioning from corporate meant leaving behind familiar templates where every goal aligned with the company’s objectives. I had to find my own structure. So, I purchased my first planner—a physical book that guided me in writing my yearly goals, breaking them down into actionable steps, and recording my wins and lessons learned. Without it, I might have been completely lost.
These days, I’ve swapped that old planner for an online project manager, but every strategy I learned from those early days still resonates with me. They’re embedded in my daily routine, driving my decision-making and keeping me accountable to the big picture.
Wrapping It Up
My journey from a corporate doer to an entrepreneurial leader wasn’t a walk in the park. It was messy, challenging, and at times downright scary. But by setting my “become goals” and tackling each of the three pillars head-on, I transformed not just my business but also my mindset shift.
For anyone feeling trapped by their current role or afraid to face their financial realities—take that leap. Embrace the unknown, learn from your failures, and reinvent yourself. Your story matters, and the freedom to run your show is worth every bit of the struggle.
Are you prepared to liberate yourself and redefine your achievements? Let’s keep the conversation going and celebrate every step of the journey together!