A clear, grounded look at income, work, and fulfillment. It’s time to get deep. Most people don’t stay in jobs because they love them. They stay because it feels safe. That was me. I had a long, respected, 20 years career. VP role. Top one percent income. All the perks. From the outside, it looked like complete success. From the inside, it felt like I was trading hours of my life for a version of myself that no longer gave me life… Here’s the important part. I didn’t leave because I was miserable. I left because I was aware. This conversation is not about just chasing your passion or burning the boats prematurely. It’s about learning to recognize when staying is costing you more than leaving. We start with income. Because if you get this part wrong, nothing else matters. STEP ONE. ☝️ Tell the truth about what you actually make per hour. This framework came from listening to Alex Hormozi, and it permanently changed how I viewed my career, my hours worked, and my effective income. Most people lie to themselves about income because they only count salary vs hours clocked in. They don’t count the life cost. Write down: • Your total income, including all bonuses and commissions Now write down: • Hours worked each week • Commute time • Travel away from family • After-hours calls and texts • Mental load you carry home • Dinners missed • Weekends and gatherings half present • Stress that follows you into bed Add all of it up. Every single hour. This BLEW MY MIND 🤯 I was always on call, always expected to answer a text (no matter what time at night), always required to travel for meetings, on top of the 60 hours a week the job required. Now divide your total income by every hour the job actually takes from your life. Your freedom. Your choices. That number is your real hourly wage. (Much lower than I would have ever thought.) For a lot of high earners, this is the first uncomfortable moment. The paycheck is big, but the hours are bigger. And the total effective $ per hour is less than you thought. 💭