I took a paid apprenticeship instead of going to college. I'll make six figures within 5 years — the stability I feel is incredible.

Tech Insider : Business
Smiling person in a black Nike polo leans against a railing in front of a leafy ivy-covered wall.
Chris Rocha skipped college to become a pipe fitter.

Courtesy of Chris Rocha

I thought I'd retire from Intel. Then I got laid off in my 60s — and I'm still struggling to find a job.

Tech Insider : Economy, Business
Brad Jenkins
Brad Jenkins is job hunting in his 60s after being laid off from Intel last year.

Brad Jenkins

How I taught myself to code, quit my consulting job, and started an AI robotics firm by age 25

Tech Insider : Business
Oscar Brisset
Oscar Brisset used to work at BCG.

Courtesy of Oscar Brisset

I quit fast-paced journalism to care for my sick mom. My experience in both led me to become a celebrant at funerals.

Tech Insider : Business
A woman in a green-and-blue patterned dress holding a brown folder.
Journalist Mandy Appleyard, who worked in the UK, the US, and Asia, became a caretaker for her sick mom. She later switched careers to preside at funerals.

Courtesy of Mandy Appleyard

I skipped college for trade school. Now I have a job I love that won't be replaced by AI.

Tech Insider : Business
Baylee Frankovich on the job as an HVAC service technician

Baylee Frankovich

I'm the creator of the Theragun. Here's a day in my life, starting with a morning mantra and ending with my 3-second trick to fall asleep.

Tech Insider : Business, Sports, Travel
Dr. Jason Wersland with Theragun
Dr. Jason Wersland, a chiropractor, invented the Theragun while trying to manage his own pain after a motorcycle accident.

Therabody

I turned a YouTube-taught hobby into a side hustle selling art for $13,000 a year

Tech Insider : Business, Economy
Trisha Soo working on digital illustrations on her iPad in her living room in Singapore.
Trisha Soo stays up until 3 a.m. most days, working on her side hustle art business.

Aditi Bharade

My grandparents took me to The Little Gym when I was a kid. Years later, they helped me buy it.

Tech Insider : Business
Sarah Cantera headshot
Sarah Cantera now owns the Little Gym she went to as a kid.

Courtesy of Sarah Cantera

I took out a second mortgage to build a tiny home in my backyard. Making money isn't the only reason it was worth it.

Tech Insider : Business
A woman posing outside a home, petting a dog.
Elaine Yang installed an ADU in her backyard to add more housing in California.

Courtesy of Elaine Yang

I married a cult leader at 18. I tried escaping 10 different times, but the system made it nearly impossible.

Tech Insider : Business
A recent photo of Briell Decker with her newborn.
A recent photo of Decker with her newborn.

Courtesy of Briell Decker.

Subscribe to as-told-to