Why I left a high-paying job to work for a minimum wage!

You have a great job, good salary, and benefits, but it seems like you can’t escape the rat race. You’re always busy and stressed out. You have no time for your hobbies or your family. You feel as though you’re a tiny gear in an enormous machine.

But you know there is more to it and that you have much more to offer.

You see other people working for themselves, setting their hours, and you want that. But you have a family to support, a company car, and a way of life that you are used to, so you can’t just abandon your job.

Or can you?

You are stuck in a golden cage, my friend. You’re so used to the benefits and perks of your job, and you’re not ready to risk it. You’re not willing to step outside your comfort zone and take a chance.

You unconsciously sacrificed happiness for financial stability. You don’t even think about having both.

But who says you can’t have it all? Both happiness and financial stability?

I was in your shoes not too long ago. I had a great job, a good salary, and all the benefits. But I wasn’t happy. I wanted more out of life.

I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. From an early age, I dreamed of making something for myself, building from scratch, watching it grow, and blooming into a real business with me at its center.

I firmly believe that each person has the capacity to achieve something in their lifetime. It is up to them whether they take the chance. Most people notice the opportunities, but few individuals take action on those.

I didn’t want to be one of those people who see opportunities everywhere and don’t do anything about them. So I jumped on every opportunity that came my way.

Most people notice the opportunities, but only few take action on those oportunities.

And by going after every opportunity that presented itself, I ended up with four jobs at the same time.

When I finished college, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to do. So to begin working, I started applying for any job. But as fate intended, I was offered a job in a large corporation as an intern.

My first job was at a large Marketing agency.

At that time, digital marketing was in its infancy, and I was one of the first in Croatia to get involved in it.

In a decade, I had gone from copying papers and making coffee to leading a team of people with specific skills and creating value for the company I was working in.

I was great at what I was doing. But there was still something missing.

I always wanted to have a business of my own, but I was too comfortable in my corporate job and lifestyle to quit and start from scratch. So instead, I took baby steps.

I was starting a hobby as a business. I didn’t want to put all I’d accomplished thus far in the marketing agency at risk.

I was working my high-paying corpo job while dreaming about my own projects.

During my college years, I spent time in the United States, where I worked at a five-star hotel and studied wines from all over the world, and there I fell in love with wine.

After experiencing this, I desired to develop something similar for my friends and me at home. The opportunity to start something similar presented itself when we found a fantastic space in downtown Zagreb. Wine bar “Basement” came into being!

When we started it, the main idea was to make a friendly place where friends and family could come hang out. The Wine Bar Basement was a unique concept that did not previously exist in Croatia.

And that was my first step into entrepreneurship. I was working two jobs at the same time!

I worked in the agency during the day and evenings, pouring wine and serving customers in Wine Bar.

It was a lot of work, but I loved every minute.

The wine bar was a small business, but it quickly became one of the most popular places in Zagreb, and we were even featured in the New York Times!

Wine Bar’s success sparked new opportunities. The third project originated from the challenge of how to connect people who produce wine with those who sell it.

With that in mind, we started a wholesale wine company, “Brza Distribucija.” A company that distributes food, wines, and other liqueurs to hotels, restaurants, and bars.

It was an excellent opportunity to learn more about the business and to gain experience in the food and beverage industry. It was a fantastic feeling. We were building something from zero.

I was excited about this new project, but it meant that I now had three jobs!

I worked in the agency during the day, at the wine bar in the evening, and on weekends I delivered wine cases for “Brza Distribucija.”

I was exhausted, but I loved it.

How Working four Jobs taught me the Value of Time Management

The fourth project was a natural consequence of the previous three. Wine enthusiasts worldwide come on holiday and fall in love with Croatia, our wines, cuisine, and people. But when they returned to Germany, the United States, or anywhere else, they had nowhere to buy Croatian wine and have it delivered to their home.

To tackle this challenge, wineandmore.com was created. With this new e-commerce platform, people in the US and Europe could access information on all things related to Croatia wines.

In addition, they’ll be able to buy any type or variety they want at competitive prices while also receiving the delivery right to their doorstep!

Wineandmore.com was a big project, and I was excited about it.

But what does it mean for my three current jobs?

It means that I now have four!

I was still working in the agency during the week, at the wine bar in the evenings, over weekends delivering goods for “Brza Distribucija” and now wineandmore.com.

I was young and energetic, working long hours each day.

But this was unsustainable. Something needed to break, me or one of my jobs.

The fourth job taught me that no time management technique could help prolong a day to more than 24 hours :/

I started to feel like I was missing out on life.

I was always working and never had time for my friends or family.

I realized that I needed to make a drastic change.

Sometimes a foot in the ass is a step forward.

Before I could decide and change anything, the change came by itself. 

Everything began to crumble down. The marketing Agency where I worked for more than ten years folded up as a collateral victim of Agrokor’s bankruptcy. 

Suddenly there was no longer a Digital Marketing position in a swanky downtown office near the Wine Bar. I was no longer close to Wine Bar in terms of location, and what was fun became a burden. 

The job I was living and building for more than ten years was no more. But maybe this was an opportunity to scale down from four positions to one.

Sometimes, destiny steps in to assist if you can’t decide on your own.

My ten-year career in a marketing agency has come to an end. I have decided that Wine Bar is taking me too much time and effort, and it is not convenient for me to be there anymore.

I decided to sell it to someone who will keep it in better shape than I could. After that, it was time for me to become a professional entrepreneur.

I was planning to dedicate myself to ‘Brza Distribucija’ and Wineandmore.com.

However, fate wanted otherwise.

A former colleague with whom I worked at Unex contacted me. He urged me to go to work in another prominent agency. It was too good to be true. We would service large global clients from New York, London, and Los Angeles from our Zagreb office. I was getting the most out of two worlds.

I was enthusiastic about learning more about the inner workings of the largest marketing agencies and gaining practical experience in how business is done in the world’s biggest markets.

After some thinking, I decided to accept the offer. The deal was I would do this for a year and then leave and focus on my projects. 

Brza Distribucija and wineandmore.com will have to wait one more year for my full-time engagement.

But after a year had passed, I got an even more enticing offer. I was invited to join one of the bigger Croatian banks for an exciting and extraordinary project. The first digital end-to-end solution for obtaining a Bank loan online.

In essence, the concept was that you could get a bank loan from the comfort of your home while wearing your shorts and drinking your coffe.

That was the first of its kind project on the market. A tremendous opportunity to work in an extensive system with some of the most innovative and competent people. A chance to learn how to achieve some fantastic results in the Banking industry that is heavily regulated.

It was awesome being part of something like that.

Golden cage

I was getting paid well, had an exciting job, and had an incredible team, but something was missing. I started to feel like a bird that was given everything it needed but could never fly.

I was missing the feeling of working on my projects, being in charge, and having the complete creative freedom to do what I consider the best.

I’ve always believed I’d be able to accomplish something noteworthy, something that it would endure long after I’m gone.

I wanted to create something that would have a lasting impact.

When in a corporation, no matter how much you contribute to one company, you are just one wheel in the machine. Nothing will change when you leave, they will replace you with another wheel or two, and the machine keeps working as if nothing happened.

On the other hand, each business decision I make in my small business has far-reaching consequences for company growth, employee destiny, and financial success. I felt that my two small businesses have a lot of potential. People working there believed in me, and I didn’t want to leave them hanging.

I also realized that I had reached a turning point, and it was time to make a decision. I didn’t have the luxury of delaying any longer. If I put off making my decisions for another year or two, Brza Distribucija and Wine and More would eventually fade into nothingness.

Worse yet, I was convinced that if I stayed at the bank and devoted my energy to it, I would make more progress and receive a higher salary and benefits. Then I’d be trapped there for good, and my small businesses would grind to a halt.

And there it is, a golden cage from which there is no way out.

Finally, I decided to leave a high-paying job to work for a minimum wage!

At one point, I ended up with four jobs simultaneously. I thought natural selection would occur, and bad ones would fall out, leaving me with one job or possibly two. But, unfortunate or fortunate, none of this happened as planned; everything worked.

But the idea of heading to the Golden Cage terrified me. I was worried that my risk tolerance would decrease as I got older. And financial compensation in the corporation will increase, making it impossible to leave.

It was the final chance to leap.

So I took the risk. I quit my Bank Job. In the meantime, I sold Wine Bar and became a full-time entrepreneur.

So, there you have it. I’m working for a significantly lower salary and work equally as before, but the experience I am getting is invaluable. I am building something that will stay behind me and be proud of, and then money comes as a bonus for a well-done job. And who knows, one day, my small business might be as big as the one I left. Stranger things have happened.

Why did I make this decision? Because, in the end, it was more important to me to feel passionate about what I do each day than it was to bring home a bigger paycheck.

You can be smarter than I was. You don’t have to wait that long

It doesn’t need to be a rash decision. You may plan your exit and execute it in small, manageable steps.

Don’t quit your job. But you can start making plans and taking steps towards your goal. For example, working your day job and building something you are passionate about on the side.

There’s never been a better time to start a business, and we’ve never had so much opportunity, technology, free flow of information, data, or access. The resources at our disposal have never been greater. You just need a laptop, internet access, and determination for many jobs. 

I’m not saying it will be easy, and it is not for everyone. But if you’re unhappy with your current situation, it is worth considering.

It took me 13 years to decide to quit my day job finally. I don’t want it to take you that long.

Here are some steps to break free from the corporate world

1. Save up: This will give you a cushion to fall back on if things don’t work out as planned. 
2. Figure out: what kind of business you want to start and how much it would cost.
3. Research the options. There are many businesses you can start with a small investment. Figure out what interests you and what you are good at.
4. Start small: You don’t need to quit your job right away. Instead, start working on your business part-time and see how it goes.
5. Be prepared for the worst: Things may not always go according to plan. Be ready for bumps in the road and setbacks. 
6. Create a plan: This will help you stay focused and know what you need to do daily.
7. Find a mentor: This person can help guide and give you advice when you need it.
8. Talk to family members: It’s considerably simpler if they’re on board and backing you up.
9. Be prepared for long hours: In the beginning, you will work a lot to get things off the ground.
10. Be prepared for bumps in the road: There will be obstacles, but don’t let them get in the way of your dreams.
11. Never give up: Even if it gets tough, remember why you started down this path in the first place. It is easy to give up. Anybody can do that.

These are just a few things to remember if you consider starting your own business. It’s not going to be easy, but it is possible. With hard work and dedication, you can make your dream a reality.  

And one for the end. The older you get, harder it will be to leave your day job.

The best time to start is now. 

So, start planning and taking steps towards your goal. It’s never been a better time to be an entrepreneur.