The Great Resignation’s Silver Lining: A Burnt-out Millennial’s Rise as an Entrepreneur

Ever tried to read the stars, only to realize you were actually squinting at airplane lights? That ‘was’ my life — a constant interplay of serendipity, mysticism, and occasional misreads. Born in ’83, which apparently makes me an “old” millennial (gee, thanks, internet), I’ve been trying to connect the dots, both spiritual and existential, ever since.

Since 1999, I was offering tarot readings. It started with reading for classmates in high school to even establishing my own Geocities website to share my esoteric services, earning a modest side income. At the time, I didn’t realize this would come full circle later in life.

As for my digital presence, it’s worth noting that I’ve maintained a website since those early days, a testament to my unwavering love for writing – be it storytelling, journaling, or exploring diverse ideas and places even though I was deeply discouraged by a teacher.

Enter Mr. L. No, not a mysterious tarot card, but my high school English teacher. If he had been a card, he’d be “The soul destroyer.” In my defence, I was going through a deep depression from something situational and it affected my marks so he told me I was on a fast-pass ticket to flipping burgers at McDonald’s and told me not to bother to go to college or university. I’m sure if he were a teacher in 2023, he would have been automatically cancelled for saying that. It’s ableist and classist. Despite his, let’s say, *constructive* criticism, my writing spirit didn’t completely shrivel up, although it did take a long time to find my path.

Simultaneously, a mystical path beckoned. The occult, astrology, and witchcraft weren’t just teen phases for me! I knew I was a psychic medium. But apparently those weren’t real jobs and the practical world continued to chant the millennial mantra: “Go to college, land that job!” But between Pythagoras and potions, potions seemed more my style. By potions, I mean the brew of helping others, which I brewed up in the cauldron of social work instead.

As inflation increased, my side gigs along side my career also increased. I was working full time in a career and working many hours outside of my career. I also fell in love with pole dancing and Moonlighted as a pole dance instructor. I am the pole witch.

The universe, with its twisted sense of humour, made sure that while I counselled by day, I twirled and predicted by night.

However, like every hardworking millennial who was told to work hard and things would be better, there was a nemesis. Burnout.

After two decades in social work working in under-resourced and understaffed schools, the very thing I loved began to resemble a dementor, sucking away my joy. I yearned for guidance.

Enter Kai, my late feline familiar. He passed away early 2019 and in my grief, I spiritually reached out to Kai. Because why not? I can! Half-expecting meows and memories. Instead, I got clarity. He purred into my psyche: “Your passion, your spirit — unleash it!” He told me to build up a business and do what I love so I could quit my career. While I contemplated this path in 2019, I took his advice and worked on my business.

Then lobbed a curveball: a pandemic enters 2020. The world scrambled for hand sanitizers and toilet paper, and my internal compass pointed me toward quitting my career. Before I quit, I took a leave of absence from my career to think long and hard about quitting and to see if my business was successful to replace my career. That break became my pivot, a dance from the grind to the grandeur of entrepreneurship. I proved to myself I could do it. I worked hard to manifest this.

So here I am: part astrologer, part psychic, part writer, part witch, part pole dancer, part digital designer, part Amazon book publisher, all parts quirky. A mosaic of experiences, each piece more eccentric than the last. Some things have come full circle.

From burnout to prophecies of Kai’s ethereal wisdom, it’s been a wild, mystical ride. And through it all, one truth stands out — life is better and more successful living in alignment with your true passions and interests.

Don’t be afraid to quit your job for a better life.

To learn more about how to quit your job, click here.