LEAVING CORPORATE AMERICA: HARD & HAPPY LESSONS LEARNED
Did you recently engage in a corporate escape—but are finding life after corporate to be more challenging than you had anticipated?- Are you scared shitless that downsizing or technology advancements will soon deliver a pink slip?
- Are you ready to leave Corporate America, but do not have a definite plan (or time to develop one) to take the plunge?
If you find yourself nodding north and south to one of the above, TheExExec.com can quickly become your favorite online hangout, your shortcut to establishing a rewarding, balanced, post-corporate life.
WELCOME FELLOW EX-EXECS:
Not to be confused with the X-Exec (My story is not as titillating as Harry Ream’s), I am Ex-Exec iMark Schneider, former top-of-the-ladder ad executive, corporatepreneur, entrepreneur, creative guy, nice guy and a man on a mission.
As the self-appointed Poster Man for Ex-Execs—primarily, but not exclusively baby boomers, I am on a mission to create a trustworthy, fun-loving community for Ex-Execs. As the majority of Ex-Execs I’ve befriended will attest, having a place to converse, share ideas and have kindred spirit shoulders to cry on and laugh with is very cathartic. Just as important, finding trustworthy comrades to team with is a must have.
TheExExec. com will provide you with a realistic roadmap and lessons-learned advice that highlights the myriad of challenges, obstacles, and opportunities that await you in your new world. It’s designed to make you aware of things that aren’t on your radar. It will help you march forward with confidence, gratitude, and realistic expectations. There is no sugar-coating. No hype. No BS. Nothing but the facts, cool ideas, and enlightening stories.
WARNING: THE TRUTH ABOUT TRANSITION
Although the research numbers are somewhat sketchy, about 2 million people leave corporate every month. Many believe there is easy gold and freedom out there… but “freedumb” often rules. As I have learned the hard way (Perhaps my lemons can be your lemonade), the road to a blissful life can be interrupted by scoundrels who are masters of persuasive hype. Beware of too good to be true charlatan coaches, internet hype machine, and MLM schemes. So another major goal is to provide the truth about the transition.
HATE CORPORATE AMERICA? YOUR STORY IS MY STORY…
To condense 30 years into one paragraph, I have worked with over one-third of the Fortune 1000 and successfully launched two national communications divisions. But the higher I climbed the corporate ladder, the more I felt like a round peg among square hole executive partners who were driven by winning at all costs. I suck at the game of politics and continually butted heads believing that nice guys could finish first. In the long run, my drivers and values often collided with my peers and bosses—most notably in the last real corporate job I held at the turn of the century.
HOW TO NAVIGATE LIFE AFTER CORPORATE: WHY I LAUNCHED THE EX-EXEC
I’ve been an official Ex-Exec since the turn of the century. I left the corporate world on an ominous note when I got politically pushed out of an SVP six-window office. Driven by Low Emotional IQ, I swore that my corporate life was history. In hindsight, I was so emotionally distraught, that I put myself in harm’s way and rebelliously drove down roads less traveled that often led to nowhere land. I’ll openly share those mistakes with you. I’ve met hundreds of others who wear similar shoes and will be including their insights in future posts.
Along the way, I’ve endured a rollercoaster existence with much higher highs and lower lows than I had ever experienced in corporate. As I navigated the often lonely road of life as an Ex-Exec, I continually sought advice, but could not find a reliable source that provided real answers. Hence, I launched the Ex-Exec.
From firsthand experience, I can proclaim that: “What you don’t know can virtually kill your dreams of a blissful life after corporate. It’s my goal to help make it one of the most satisfying periods of your life.
All the best,
iMark Schneider—The Ex-Exec
