Earlier this year, I made the difficult decision of quitting my job to focus on my business full-time. It wasn’t the first time I’d taken this leap—but this time felt different. I had just been accepted into the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Program and the Fiverr Future Collective, and I wanted to pour everything into scaling Luxe Gather.
But like most entrepreneurs who leave a steady paycheck for the dream of business ownership, things didn’t go exactly as planned.
The Breaking Point
I left my role because it became too demanding to juggle alongside my business and the Goldman Sachs program. When the company decided product marketing should own all webinar execution (which was previously handled by an events coordinator), I knew the role had taken a turn I didn’t sign up for.
The event coordinator had a 90-step execution plan (yes, 90!)—and I was now responsible for coordinating subject matter experts, setting up webinar platforms, building landing pages and email campaigns, hosting the live webinars, and tagging hundreds of leads afterward. It felt like an entire new job on top of my current one.
And honestly, I just wasn’t interested in becoming a full-time webinar coordinator.
Choosing My Business Over Job Security
At the same time, I had just started the Goldman Sachs 10KSB program, which involved long days on-site in Miami. I was up at 5 a.m., commuting by train, and absorbing what felt like an MBA-level education in entrepreneurship.
It became clear that something had to give. So I made the leap: I quit my job to focus on my business full-time.
It wasn’t an impulsive move. I had a plan.
My Plan: Luxe Gather + A Marketing Agency
The plan was to finish the Goldman Sachs program, grow Luxe Gather, and use my marketing background to launch a second business—a marketing agency.
My idea was to build an online kids’ party directory called Luxe Party Pro, helping parents find trusted vendors. Vendors could list their services for free or a small fee, and I’d offer Google and Meta ad services as a paid upsell.
It made perfect sense on paper.
When the Excitement Wore Off
A few weeks after completing the program and working on Luxe Party Pro, I hit a wall. I started to feel discouraged—even though I had so much momentum.
I was implementing everything I had learned: building a video training library, automating the customer journey with email flows, training my team, doing performance reviews, coaching for consistency. I even used Fiverr credits to streamline parts of my workflow.
I was on fire… until I wasn’t.
Reality Set In
I started questioning everything.
Did I really want to launch a marketing agency?
Was I even capable of managing marketing clients, let alone their results?
If I was already overwhelmed with hiring, team-building, and marketing challenges at Luxe Gather, how would I handle client management, ad performance, and scaling a second business?
Should I Just Go Back to Corporate?
I kept going back and forth between thoughts of “should I get another corporate job?” or “can I make this work?”
Even though a corporate job can feel stifling, I missed the structure and stability. Especially the benefits, the steady paycheck, and not having to carry the full weight of the business on my shoulders.
In truth, I’ve been straddling this line for a while. Since launching Luxe Gather in 2022, I’ve left two corporate jobs to focus on it—and been let go from two part-time roles that I probably wasn’t giving my full effort to.
The Catch-22 of Entrepreneurship
This is the honest, unpolished truth:
Quitting your job to start a business isn’t the fairytale it’s often painted to be.
Your success depends entirely on your efforts—and yet your efforts are constantly challenged by self-doubt, burnout, fear, and uncertainty. That’s the catch-22. You believe in your business, but sometimes it feels like it’s pulling everything out of you with very little return.
I thought leaving my job would open the door to freedom and clarity. Instead, I’ve found myself stuck again—this time between burnout and confusion. But I’m not giving up.
I’m in a season of figuring things out, and maybe that’s okay.
If You’re Thinking of Quitting Your Job to Start a Business
You don’t have to have it all figured out before you leap. But if you do take the leap, know that the road will be rocky and unpredictable. You’ll have seasons of motivation and seasons of confusion. And that’s all part of the journey.
I’m still walking mine.
Tools I’ve Used on This Journey
Here are a few tools that have helped me grow Luxe Gather and stay on track—even when things felt overwhelming:
- Fiverr – for hiring freelancers who support your vision
- Bookeo – to streamline bookings and free up your mental space
- Metricool – Automate and analyze your social media and content performance across platforms
- Tailor Brands – for handling the essentials like forming your LLC, creating a professional logo, and building a brand you can be proud of without doing it all yourself
- Virtual Business Address – for separating your business life from personal
