Leaving My Full Time Job

Hey guys,

Changing gears a little bit here — heading back to what made me decide to start a business, and the reason why I left my full-time job to pursue my dream of becoming an entrepreneur, which I touched on back in January in The Journey So Far.

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. Growing up with first- and second-generation Greek Cypriot immigrants definitely had an impact on my upbringing. My grandparents came to Britain with nothing — and I mean nothing. Broken English (and in my grandma’s case, no English at all when she first arrived), and a work ethic beyond imagination — not just to survive, but to thrive later in life.

Anyone with a friend in the Greek Cypriot community knows that family businesses often meant chip shops — which was the case for my family. Before I continue, no, I’ve never worked in a chip shop. But the stories of first- and second-generation immigrants coming over and working relentlessly — serving fish and chips on busy football match days or even your standard Monday — stuck with me deeply.

I wanted to give a bit of background before delving into why I left full-time employment in the first place. The entrepreneurial spirit was always there, just waiting to be tapped into. And when the universe started telling me now’s the time, I finally listened.

Full-time employment — a 9–5, or even a 7:30–6 back in my early years education career — gave me structure, financial stability, and a reason to get out of the house.

But more often than not, as someone who instinctively wants to fix problems and take action, I was met with phrases like “you’re asking too many questions,” “just do your job,” “why do you care?” — along with defensiveness from managers and people in positions of authority.

A lot of people didn’t want to hear it. They struggled with my questioning of authority, and when push came to shove, I was often made out to be the aggressor for wanting to change behaviours, practices, or procedures.

This is a vulnerable thing to admit — because everything I did came from a place of we can be better, and here’s how. But it was rarely received that way.

The thing I love most about being a solopreneur is the level of control I have. I’m in charge of making my own money. Even during months with no income, it doesn’t worry me the way it once did — because I believe this will work.

I believe in my vision, and I believe I can genuinely help other people. And when someone puts their trust in me and takes a chance on my business, my loyalty and work ethic come hand in hand when I work with those small businesses.

That said, I won’t lie — leaving a full-time role for something that may or may not work is intimidating. It’s scary. It brings up questions you don’t expect to face or be ready for.

The first three months of being an entrepreneur tested everything — including my entrepreneurial spirit itself.

But then the opportunity came.

My first client.

Boom.

My dream was finally turning into reality.