It wasn’t an easy decision, given that I’m generally more risk-averse by nature. The catalyst is definitely my wife, who never fails to make me look at life’s bigger picture.
I had been very happy in my previous role as an investment advisor, as the job scope entailed what I enjoyed and there was relatively good work life balance. However, visualizing myself going through the same routine for the next thirty years, I felt that I would have regretted not trying out new things. With The InvestQuest, I had the breadth to investigate topics that I had always been curious about and to share that with like-minded readers.
Apart from The InvestQuest, the decision to leave my job was also to set up a second venture called Endowment Exchange, a platform that buys over endowment and whole life insurance policies, at a higher price than the policy’s surrender value. I’m using this platform to give the best value possible to policy owners looking to terminate their policies prematurely, in an attempt to add a positive social aspect within my area of competence. My aim isn't to maximize profits, but rather to be content with a return threshold while offering the highest purchase amount we can to the policy owners.
Ultimately, I also had to be realistic in the event that traction for these ventures turned out to be poor. While I believed that I had built up sufficient personal brand equity with my ex-colleagues for job referrals, I was mentally prepared to take a pay cut re-joining the finance industry.
It’s often idealized, and my wife and I both believe that quitting a job to start a new venture is not the right choice for everyone. It really depends on your risk tolerance and on your practical limits (e.g. how much you need to earn to maintain a lifestyle, big ticket purchases on the horizon, etc.).
Notwithstanding the above, the way I deliberate major decisions is by thinking about my life in chunks (my 30s, 40s, 50s, etc.) and what experiences I’d like to fill each decade with. So far, starting The InvestQuest and Endowment Exchange has added a lot of colour to both our lives.
It wasn’t an easy decision, given that I’m generally more risk-averse by nature. The catalyst is definitely my wife, who never fails to make me look at life’s bigger picture.
I had been very happy in my previous role as an investment advisor, as the job scope entailed what I enjoyed and there was relatively good work life balance. However, visualizing myself going through the same routine for the next thirty years, I felt that I would have regretted not trying out new things. With The InvestQuest, I had the breadth to investigate topics that I had always been curious about and to share that with like-minded readers.
Apart from The InvestQuest, the decision to leave my job was also to set up a second venture called Endowment Exchange, a platform that buys over endowment and whole life insurance policies, at a higher price than the policy’s surrender value. I’m using this platform to give the best value possible to policy owners looking to terminate their policies prematurely, in an attempt to add a positive social aspect within my area of competence. My aim isn't to maximize profits, but rather to be content with a return threshold while offering the highest purchase amount we can to the policy owners.
Ultimately, I also had to be realistic in the event that traction for these ventures turned out to be poor. While I believed that I had built up sufficient personal brand equity with my ex-colleagues for job referrals, I was mentally prepared to take a pay cut re-joining the finance industry.
It’s often idealized, and my wife and I both believe that quitting a job to start a new venture is not the right choice for everyone. It really depends on your risk tolerance and on your practical limits (e.g. how much you need to earn to maintain a lifestyle, big ticket purchases on the horizon, etc.).
Notwithstanding the above, the way I deliberate major decisions is by thinking about my life in chunks (my 30s, 40s, 50s, etc.) and what experiences I’d like to fill each decade with. So far, starting The InvestQuest and Endowment Exchange has added a lot of colour to both our lives.