Tom Pellicer, Rowco Media, LLC
- Chad Willardson left Merrill Lynch in 2011 to start Pacific Capital, a wealth management firm.
- Industry changes post-Great Recession and corporate bureaucracy drove him away from Wall Street.
- Now he runs multiple businesses and doesn't regret leaving the comforts of corporate life.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Chad Willardson, a 45-year-old entrepreneur, investor, and author in Orange County, California. It has been edited for length and clarity.
In 2011, I left my job at Merrill Lynch after nine years to start Pacific Capital, a wealth management firm for entrepreneurs with at least $10 million to invest.