If you’re stuck in a job you hate and want to get out, here’s some great inspiration. Dorene left her desk job after twenty years and is now location independent and redesigning life on her own terms. As of this interview, her and her husband are currently living and working from Nicaragua. I’m excited to launch The Drifting Desk’s I Quit My Job interview series with Dorene of Travellifex.com:
Dorene, you quit the job you hated. What kind of job was it?
I worked in Marketing for 20 years marketing consumer brands and leading brand marketing teams both in Corporate and Advertising Agency
So then, what did you hate about that job and what finally caused you to quit?
It seems like a dream job, and it was for a long time. I didn’t hate it, I got bitter and cynical. I grew weary of the politics, and the never-ending need for the company to make money and not think about the people. It consumed me, it was my entire life, and I lost perspective of what is truly important in life.
What caused me to quit-
1) Some painful reminders that life is too short (family member was struck with cancer for the 3rd time). It really forced me to look at life differently, to get in touch with my mortality and really feel the pain, that life is too short!
2) Losing my long standing job a year earlier – When I started looking for work again, I was so uninspired by any roles out there, and they all seemed similar. I took a job at an Advertising Agency – It allowed me to learn some new skills (but it was a daily grind) then I plotted during that time to work on my exit and departure to my new career- that is what kept me going.
Well it certainly looks like your world didn’t explode after you finally quit your job! How’d you react to any negative reactions from coworkers or family/friends about your decision?
My family was incredibly supportive, they wanted me to be happy, and they knew how consumed and stressed I was at my previous jobs.
When you leave a job, coworkers can act a little strange. They are unsure about how your departure will affect them, and they are losing someone they spent a lot of time with! It didn’t matter, this decision was about me, and my happiness.
What do you miss about that job?
I do miss working with a team of people, you become a close knit family. Although I realized I just have other kinds of relationships with communities of people now, – people we meet when we travel, our audience that are on our website and I stay in touch with a select group of close friends back home.
Alright enough about the past job! I really loved and resonated with how you say on your site ‘If I work so hard at a job I hate, imagine what I can do in a job I love?’ What are you doing for work now?
My husband we have developed a business called Travel Life Experiences http://travellifex.com/ We encourage people to change their lives and try meaningful travel experiences to enhance their life. I am now a writer, videographer, photographer, Traveler and most of all student of life. We encourage others who feel they are missing out on life to seek out Meaningful Travel Experiences that ultimately change your view of the world and yourself. On the side, I also do career consulting coaching for young marketers looking for help and advice in their next role and career planning in the marketing field. I do this because I enjoy it, I like to inform people of the realities of the business world, and also for a little income.
So far, what has been the most memorable experience for you since you quit your job?
Everyday I get to wake up and feel like I am living my life – authentically. I feel like I am back in school learning new things everyday, I no longer feel stagnant, feel close minded only thinking about what “the company wants” (like how to run a website, how to write more effectively.)
“Everyday I get to wake up and feel like I am living my life – authentically.”
OK, so you took a huge leap into a completely different industry, plus you are traveling while making this happen. What obstacles have you run into since you ‘hit the road’?
It was hard to start working with my husband! We now spend 24/7 together and we figured out how to play CEO and Creative Director more effectively! We also got very comfortable with making less money, but in the end the richness of life experiences is what we have gained.
Any words of advice for our readers stuck in a job they hate craving the flexibility of being able to work from anywhere?
There are so many options out there for different kinds of jobs to make money remotely.
For leaving a career to try something new:
- Don’t be afraid to change jobs, learn new skills, or earn less money — If you are passionate to achieve your goal – you will find a way.
- Don’t let anyone ever tell you don’t have the experience – it’s nonsense, and chances are you have transferable skills. If not, it’s easy to find them.
- I did a blog post about career advice and success that I provide to some of my career coaching clients, that I’d like to share with The Drifting Desk readers. Check out my post on Redefining Success.
What does having career freedom mean to you?
Feeling inspired everyday, feeling connected to people and making a contribution to the world in some way.
Thank you so much to Dorene for allowing me to interview her! She’s certainly an inspiration for those of us feeling a little bit lost at our desk jobs. To read more about what Dorene is up to, make sure to visit her over at Travellifex.com
Did you quit your job and have a great story to tell? Contact me if you think you’d be a good fit and would like to be featured in our I Quit My Job series.
Ready to get serious about your work from anywhere job search? I whole-heartedly recommend Flexjobs, the site where I found my first freelance writing gig. There are zero scams on their site and they have their own 100% remote team, too!
What a great inspiration Doreen is!! Thank you for sharing! I love the quote about “living life authentically”!
Thanks Lisa and Doreen for continuing to inspire us and remind us that there is NOTHING worse than spending your life working at a job that is sucking the very life out of your soul. What it basically takes is courage to take a different path! There are lots of ways to do it but first we have to believe that we can and interviews like this help to remind us. Thanks again.
Thank YOU Kathy! Believing that you CAN do it seems to be consistently the first step.