From Tech Career to Entrepreneurial Freedom: One Woman’s Journey to Success
Jean Kang never imagined she’d trade in her 9-to-5 job for entrepreneurial freedom. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, she was captivated by the tech industry and dreamed of working for a big company. However, after a decade-long career marked by setbacks and self-discovery, Kang took a leap of faith and turned her passion into a lucrative business.
Kang’s corporate journey was far from linear. She faced two layoffs, worked at six different companies, and explored various roles before finding her niche as a program manager. As she excelled in her role, people began reaching out to her for mentorship and guidance. Recognizing a gap in the market, Kang decided to launch a coaching business, “Path to PM,” to help aspiring program managers achieve their goals.
With a single LinkedIn post in October 2022, Kang’s side hustle was born. She created career-focused content, coached clients online, and brought in a total of $30,000 in revenue by the end of 2023. The success was astonishing, and Kang realized she could supplement her income without relying on her corporate job.
However, the dual responsibilities took a toll on Kang, and she began to experience burnout. It wasn’t until her company offered a voluntary exit package that she decided to take the plunge and focus on her business full-time. Since quitting her corporate job in February, Kang has brought in approximately $160,000 and is on track to replace her previous annual salary.
Today, Kang has expanded her business through brand deals, LinkedIn Learning courses, and group programs. She has built a following of over 100,000 on LinkedIn and has scaled her business by shifting from one-on-one coaching to group sessions. Kang’s success can be attributed to her focus on execution, iteration, and perfection.
The entrepreneur’s advice to aspiring business owners is to identify a problem that needs solving and leverage their unique strengths to address it. By creating a minimum viable product and focusing on execution, entrepreneurs can set themselves up for success. Kang’s story serves as a testament to the power of intentional decision-making and reinvesting in oneself. With freedom and flexibility, Kang is now living the life she always wanted.
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