The Escapee Insider is a weekly-ish newsletter focused on helping folks transition from corporate to solopreneurship

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Last week we talked about the 5Fs and measuring your happiness.

This week, let's talk about control.

Because here's the thing: You can't be happy if you have zero control over your life.

And right now? Most of you don't.

For 25+ years, I built my life around my corporate job.

And I didn't even realize I was doing it.

My schedule? Determined by corporate.
My location? Determined by corporate.
Where my family lived? Determined by corporate.
Time with my kids? Whatever was left after corporate took theirs.

I thought this was just how it worked.

You get a job. You build your life around it. That's the deal.

Then corporate quit on me almost 6 years ago and for the first time in decades, I had to ask: What do I actually want?

Not what does corporate want from me. Not what's the next promotion.

What do I want?

I had no idea. Because I'd never asked.

Once I got out and once I actually took control, everything changed.

I lost 30 pounds (more time to workout and eat better)
I showed up for my family in ways I couldn't before.

I actually woke up energized and excited for the day.
I was building work around my life, not the other way around.

And here's what I realized: The leap from corporate to solo isn't as big as you think.

You don't have to quit and go all in and you don't have to have it all figured out.

Small wins. Then stack them. It is all about momentum.

First client at $2K/month. Then another. Then another. Before you know it, you don't need corporate anymore.

I would've done this a decade ago if I'd known. I had the time. I just didn't have the plan.

That's why I built the Playbook. So you don't have to wait until corporate quits on you like I did.

Not hoping corporate gets better (because it won’t). And not waiting for the perfect moment. That will never happen.

Taking control.

Here's the exercise I want you to do this week:

Step 1: Design your ideal 2026

Forget your job for a second. Just think about what you actually want.

Write it down. Be specific.

Step 2: Now look at your current life

How far off are you from what you just wrote?

If you're close? Great. You're in a good spot.

If you're nowhere near it? That's the gap you need to close.

Step 3: Ask yourself the hard question

Can you close that gap while staying in corporate?

Maybe yes. Maybe you just need better boundaries. Maybe you renegotiate.

Or maybe no. Maybe corporate will never give you the control you need.

You Don't Have to Wait

I took my first steps once corporate quit on me.

Hindsight being 20/20? I should've started before that happened.

I had the time. I just didn't have the plan.

Too many folks wait for their breaking point instead of starting to build now. You absolutely have the time to get started. This is not rocket science.

Don't wait until corporate makes the decision for you.

Build your plan now. Take the first step this week.

Even if you're not ready to leave yet. Even if you're just exploring.

Because small wins stack.

And before you know it, you're not stuck anymore.

Download the FREE Starter Kit. It walks you through this exact exercise.

And if you're ready to build your plan? Get the Playbook. $87.

My escapee journey drastically improved my life.

I want that for you too.

Let's make 2026 about taking control.

— Brett

After decades in corporate. Suddenly corporate quit on Clair.

That same day, she filed an LLC.

Two days later she posted on LinkedIn.

And by the end of the week, she’d replaced her corporate salary.

Is that normal? No.

Is it possible? Absolutely.

This episode is about what Claire did that any corporate professional can copy, especially now with the current job market.

Clair shares how you could actually build a business from what you already know!

🎙️ Corporate Quit on Her — She Built a Business Faster Than She Could Job Hunt

→ [Listen Here]