Paul Rizos

Too old. Too late. Too risky to go solo after 10, 20, or even 30 years in corporate marketing. Three words designed to keep you exactly where you are. I heard all three in 2018. I was 38, thinking about leaving corporate to go solo as a coach. Everyone had an opinion I never asked for: - "You're too old to start over." - "It's too late — you've got too much to lose." - "It's too risky. Be realistic." They weren't wrong to care. They were wrong about the facts. Too old?

2010: went solo without a plan (came back broke) 2018: went solo with a foundation already built (never looked back) Here's the difference: It wasn't talent, timing, or luck. It was execution. I talk to corporate professionals every day who tried going solo in the past — freelancing, fractional, self-employed — and returned to corporate saying "never again." Almost every single one made the same mistake I made in 2010. They quit first. Then tried to build. No validated offer. No clients lined up.

2010: first attempt to go solo (total flop) 2012: back to corporate, ashamed and on worse terms 2018: went solo the proper way this time If I were to do it all again, I wouldn't change a thing. In 2010 I left corporate marketing during a global economic crisis. Junior. No real plan. Just a strong pull to build something of my own. It didn't work. I came back broke and bruised. On worse terms. Lower title. Less money.