I used to have a 9 to 5 job, which I really loathed. I was working as a dispute analyst for a major credit card company. It was my job to explain to people that refuse to read things that the thing they signed without reading would cost them $70,000 and it was beyond our control. I needed a way out.
But couldn’t really justify quitting. The money was good. So good, in fact, that I had amassed enough in my 401k that if I were to cash it out I could fund my lifelong dream to buy an RV and roam around the country recording all of the music America has to offer. I had my out! I had dreams to chase, but unfortunately I was being anchored by this day-job. And so, in 2012 I got myself fired.
Planning to get fired is a weird process. I had already started work on my MBA. I also knew that once my 401k hit a certain level, the company-match would kick in, nearly doubling my investment. So the VERY day that company-match kicked in, I quit; “Office Space” style.
That’s right, I just stopped doing anything productive and spent my days in the office shopping for RV’s and recording gear, transcribing tablature, and doing my MBA homework…
…Six month’s later (after winning a high-performance award in the interim) they finally walked me down to HR and gave me my coveted pink-slip. I promptly requested my 401k withdrawal form and joyfully skipped out of the office for the last time, knowing I was no longer at the mercy of “The Man”.
It turns out that launching the Schwilly Family Roadtrip was the best thing I ever did. Without my 9 to 5 job holding me back, I’ve since been able make a living in the music industry - by helping musicians learn to do the same.
No comments:
Post a Comment