I lost my tech job at 37 and had to move back in with my parents. I was embarrassed, but more than anything, I'm grateful.

Tech Insider : Business, Politics
Trevor Gebhardt and his dog Hank in his LA Apartment in April 2024
Trevor Gebhardt and his dog Hank in his LA Apartment in April 2024.

Courtesy of Trevor Gebhardt

I struggled with loneliness when I became an empty nester. I found new hobbies, got a dog, and started traveling.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business
Justine Martin standing on a balcony and smiling.
Justine Martin struggled with loneliness when she became an empty nester.

Courtesy of Justine Martin

I became a full-time content creator, but quit after I realized I was sacrificing my morals for a paycheck. It made me insecure and anxious.

Tech Insider : Business
Evelyn Ramli sitting in front of a window wearing a black dress with a drink on the table by her side.
Former influencer Evelyn Ramli took a pay cut when she quit content-creating and got a corporate job.

Photo courtesy Evelyn Ramli

I quit my corporate job at 29 and became a yacht chef. Now I cook for high-profile executives and retired athletes.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Economy
emily ruybal chef split with yacht menu
Emily Ruybal is a private chef and content creator working on chartered yachts.

Courtesy of Emily Ruybal

I quit my job as a lawyer and moved to Spain for a slower life. Now I run a business helping other Black women move abroad.

Tech Insider : Travel, Business, Sports
A headshot of Christine Job.
Christine Job moved from Atlanta to Spain in 2017 and has no plans to return to the US.

Courtesy of Christine Job

I took over the Tetris company from my dad. My children see me as a strong leader.

Tech Insider : Business
Henk Rogers, Maya Rogers, Alexey Pajitnov smiling and standing on a set of steps.
Maya Rogers is the CEO of Tetris, the company her father, Henk Rogers, left, founded with game developer Alexey Pajitnov, right.

Photo credit: Ryan Hadji

I was earning $300,000 at Google and saving for early retirement — then I quit for a more flexible life. It changed how I view success.

Tech Insider : Business
A man standing in front of a light-up Google sign at one of Google's offices.
Tang initially thought he'd stay at Google for life.

Courtesy of Jim Tang

I'm a co-CEO and a former recruiter. This is the best question a candidate has ever asked me.

Tech Insider : Business
Noah Berk with books behind him
Noah Berk is the co-CEO of Aptitude 8, a technical consulting company.

Noah Berk

I'm an e-commerce entrepreneur who makes 7 figures. I used to live paycheck to paycheck and now I plan to retire at 50.

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
a man in a black outfit poses at a pool
Jesse Frimpong.

Marc Johnson

I learned to code after seeing Sam Altman speak. Now I'm pausing my music career to go all in on AI before it's too late.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Alexander Cobb
Alexander Cobb taught himself to code after hearing Sam Altman talk at the University of Cambridge in November 2023.

Courtesy of Alexander Cobb

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