Why i choose to leave my leadership role to build my own business

“…because it became really clear what success looks like for me!”

This is my answer when people ask me, “Why did you choose to step away from your leadership role at a fast-growing company to build your own business?”

I have always had an entrepreneurial spark. But I was never passionate enough about anything I could see myself building a business around.

So instead, when I was 22 and graduating university, I had my mind set on joining corporate and climbing the ladder—all the way to the top. I wanted to work my way up to become a senior level executive of a known company. I wanted to have a name in my industry, wear fancy business clothes and have a corner office in a tall skyscraper. I wanted to have a big network, be an advocate for women in leadership, make a seven-figure salary and, eventually, write an autobiography.

I’m grateful to have had an amazing start to my career. My first role out of university landed me on a rocket ship in the cybersecurity space. I was part of the sales team and got to grow alongside the company as it scaled from 50 people to 350 people over the four years I was part of the team.

My next role bumped me up one more wrung on the ladder. I was ready to continue to drive forward and prove myself. It wasn’t long after I started that I told my CEO my goal was to have a seat at the leadership table. He worked with me to make that a reality. Two years later, I got the opportunity to take over the sales team and sit at the leadership table as the Director of Sales.

I’ll be honest: it was this promotion that sent me down the path of redefining what success meant for me. Don’t get me wrong. There were parts about my new role that I loved. I especially loved my team and the opportunity I had to lead a group of up-and-coming sales rockstars. It was amazing to have a voice at the table and the responsibility to create a sales strategy that fit with the overall vision of the company.

But it didn’t take long for me to see where I would be in 10 years. I’d be 40 years old, I’d be VP of Sales at a bigger company, with a bigger team and a bigger quota. I’d have more stress to go with my bigger pay check, and I’d always be one missed number away from getting fired.

So, I started down the path of redefining what success looked like for me. Once my new definition of success became more clear, I knew in my heart that it was time to step away from my corporate leadership role and jump into building out my own company, full-time.

Here’s what my new definition looked like:

• I wake up every morning loving what I do

• I have full creative control over building my business

• I’m surrounded by like-minded people and high-performing professional

• I have the freedom to work where I want and fill my calendar in a way that feels good to me

• I leverage my strengths to support people in living in alignment with their authentic self

• I make the money I need to live the lifestyle I want  

When was the last time you checked-in with yourself and asked, “What’s my definition of success?”

I recorded a podcast earlier this month for With Heart and Wonder with Megan Johnston. During the episode we dive into what it means to redefine success at work. We chat about the traditional definitions of success and the challenges that come with being out of alignment at work. And some ways you can begin creating your own version of success.

chat soon!

Sylvana