What I Learned in Two Years After Leaving My Job to Start My Own Business
Two years ago, I left a stable job with great pay, amazing benefits, and a team of coworkers I genuinely liked. These were people I vacationed with. People I’d text daily. People I considered part of my identity.
And yet—I left.
Not for a “better job.” Not because I had a fat savings account. Not because everything lined up perfectly. I left because I felt a pull. A pull toward building something that was mine. Toward taking a leap into FOCUSED SketchUp—what started as an idea and has now turned into a thriving business helping thousands of designers learn how to visualize, render, and grow their own careers.
Looking back, I want to share five honest pieces of advice for anyone who’s thinking about starting something of their own—especially in the world of design, rendering, or creative work.
Key Takeaways:
- Don’t let loyalty to coworkers keep you in a role that no longer serves you.
- Comfort is the silent killer of progress.
- Passion without a financial strategy leads to burnout.
- There’s never a perfect time to leave—just better signs.
- You need to surround yourself with people who get it.
Table of Contents
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1. Don’t Stay in a Job Just Because You Feel Loyal to the Team
This was my biggest mental roadblock.
I wasn’t miserable at my job. But I had outgrown it. And yet, I felt guilt at the thought of leaving my coworkers. We had history. We had inside jokes. We had years of shared experience. I felt like I was betraying them by wanting something more.
But here’s the truth: the moment I left, those same coworkers—people I spoke to every day—vanished. No hate, no drama, no blowups. Just silence.
That taught me something huge: if the only reason you’re staying at a job is loyalty to the people, that’s not a strong enough reason. Your coworkers are not your life support. You owe yourself the chance to grow.
2. Comfort is a Trap. And It’s Deadly.
Remember high school biology where you dissected a frog?
They’d place a frog in a pot of warm water. Then slowly raise the temperature until the frog, comfortable the whole way through, fell asleep and died.
That’s what staying in a job you don’t love feels like.
At first, you tell yourself, “It’s not that bad.” You settle into a routine. You ignore the dreams you had five years ago. Eventually, you fall asleep—professionally and personally.
And the only way out of that slow death is to choose discomfort.
Leaving my job was terrifying. So was launching FOCUSED SketchUp. But every uncomfortable step gave me a new skill, a new lesson, a new win.
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3. Find the Intersection of Passion and Profit
We hear it all the time: “Follow your passion.”
But I want to be clear—passion alone won’t pay your bills.
If your passion is jumping jacks, you could do them all day and be broke. But if you find the intersection between jumping jacks and money, everything changes.
Build an app. Create content. Offer training. Partner with brands. Monetize creatively.
When I started FOCUSED SketchUp, I didn’t just teach SketchUp because I loved it. I built a system (The FOCUSED Method™), created Bootcamps, packaged training into structured paths for designers, and built products that solved real problems.
That’s where passion becomes sustainable.
4. There Will Never Be a Perfect Time to Quit
Spoiler alert: it’s never “the right time.”
We all wait for signs: more savings, better timing, one last promotion.
For me, the years of stagnation within the company were slowly bringing me down. No chances to grow, no new work coming in, and the work I was doing was more managerial, which I don’t enjoy that much.
The “sign” that triggered my resignation was that my company wanted to place me on another contract that I wasn’t excited about and that required a 1.5-hour commute each way. It wasn’t financially ideal to leave. But it was clear—I didn’t want to spend three hours in a car every day. They were also relocating offices. It was a good time from their perspective for change—and I used that to make a move of my own.
I had been working on FOCUSED SketchUp behind the scenes for months. So when the push came, I had something to fall back on. Plus my other company that I run with my wife Megan (Arched Manor) was steadily growing as well, so that helped cushion the blow as well.
Plan in the background. Build your parachute while you’re still in the plane. And when the exit door opens, jump.
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5. Follow People Who Understand the Path You’re On
I wouldn’t have made the leap without watching people like Gary Vee talk about entrepreneurship and risk.
Sometimes you need voices that don’t know you personally, but deeply understand you.
If everyone in your circle is playing it safe, you’ll talk yourself out of everything bold. That’s why it matters to follow people who have done what you want to do—and are still doing it.
And if you’re interested in design or rendering, and you’re dreaming of leaving a job you’ve outgrown to pursue something better, you’re in the right place.
Final Thoughts
Two years in, I’ve built something that has not only replaced my old income—but given me freedom, purpose, and the ability to help others do the same.
If you’re standing where I stood two years ago, here’s what I want you to know:
It won’t be easy. But it will be worth it. Regret is something you don’t want to live with.
Ready to Make Your Move?
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You’ll learn a proven system, get access to resources and support, and gain the confidence you need to make your next move.
You’ve waited long enough. Let’s build something better—together.
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