[Credit: eddiedangerous]

Brandon James is a 23-year old revolutionary. He recently made his escape and now lives on his own terms, attempting to create a life in which he is in the driver’s seat. He’s on a mission to show the world that anything is possible if you want it badly enough and to teach aspiring wage slave rebels that the risks so many people are scared to death of can actually be some of the most enjoyable parts of the process.

I recently had an opportunity to discuss with him his recent jailbreak from corporate finance, how he planned his escape and his advice for anyone who is dying to do the same!

What kind of work did you do and how long had you been working at this particular job?

I worked in the corporate trust group of a major bank. I was originally in charge of financial reporting of investment securities, but after deciding I was done with the Finance path, I slowly eased my way into a business support role which was much more enjoyable and less stressful.  This was a job that I got right out of college and was a pretty  good position for the major and school I came from, it’s safe to say it was an envious position for classmates from my business school. It’s been about 1 year and 4 months since I started work and about a year since I started making the decision in my head that I need to get out of the wage slave path.

—

What finally drove you over the edge and made you decide to put in your two weeks notice?

I’d like to say that the decision to move out of the corporate life was made long before entering the job.  In college, there was such a rush to get interviews with the best companies, lock down offers and start the fast track straight out of graduation, really squeeze the value out of that degree. Senior year I definitely got caught up in that mindset, convincing myself I will get into the best company, get that experience under my belt for a few years and move onto more fulfilling entrepreneurial ventures. After the first few weeks of actual working life, I started to see how false that vision had been. Getting experience turned into getting through the week in the least painful way possible and forgetting about work over the weekend.

I started to realize that I had been fooling myself that this was the path to salvation, that instead of developing as a person, I was developing the company in exchange for a paycheck.  My friends and I affectionately labeled this kind of work, “TI” or “The Illusion” because it gave people an illusion of success, which led to overspending and unwarranted arrogant behavior.  To make everything harder, while still in school I had registered myself for the CFA, a financial analyst test which costed me a bunch of time and money, so until taking that in December, I had to stick it out and at least pretend to be someone dedicated to a career in finance.  The test came and went, and what follows was the first major event that really picked at the iceberg of corporate control.

My friend and I planned a post-test celebration in Colombia.  The 10 short days in beautiful Colombia made us realize how amazing life is outside of the rushed office lifestyle and opened our eyes to the prospect of living life internationally on the cheap.  We returned to an ice-laden Chicago with a vision of greener pastures and started dreaming of options such as teaching english or graduate programs in Colombia. We went back to work with an even more cavalier attitude, and an understanding that there is a better life out there, work had become less and less important. While I had focused in on what I wanted, I was still scared to fully abandon all that I had worked for, as well as make clear my intentions to the people who were expecting me to “do the right thing” and remain a financial analyst.

One day something happened that was the last straw to say and was something I really attribute to giving me the final courage to start saving and shedding my corporate shell. The father of my childhood best friend took his life, a father figure of mine who I always looked up to for living exactly how he wanted to.  I remember being found by my mom in tears weeks later, and confessed to her that I was miserable going to work everyday, not being able to express my identity and live exactly how I want to live. She held me and told me to “get out of finance if it’s making you this miserable and to just do exactly what you want to do.” This led to about a year of saving and planning, vagabonding my way through the city with a $50k salary being banked away.

I enjoyed saving every dime I made so much more than spending ever dime on stuff I would get bored of days later, knowing how far the money would take me. My post corporate life plans have evolved from a simple round the world trip, traveling and partying, to a spiritually guided bicycle journey from Istanbul to Beijing with the intention of raising money and awareness for several causes important to me and my recent transformation. This has been everything leading up to the development of my blog, New Life Travel, which will be the informational hub of  my life journey and will be the connecting point to other great minds who have the same vision for life that I do.

—

Can you tell us what it was like to quit? What did your boss think? What did your coworkers think?

I went in to give my two weeks notice after taking every last vacation day and sick day that I had, so needless to say, I was worried that my boss was going to rip my head off (I only worked 6 days in total in November). I sat in the office Monday morning anxiously waiting for the perfect time to go up to my boss and let her know that I had some news for her. I sent her a communicator message saying, “Are you busy, I need to tell you something.” She replied, “Is everything alright?” Oh boy, I thought to myself.

I got up out of my cube and walked over to her desk, the awkward silent walk to the conference room was a good enough indicator that something was up.  I sat down in front of her and told her that I was done with work and that I was putting in my two weeks. A look of shock came over her.  I then went on to tell her that I would be biking from Istanbul to Beijing over the next 2 years and that it was just something I needed to do while I was young and able. By then that initial shock had worn off and she said that she was fully supportive and it was less of a surprise because she kind of expected me to do something like that.  She said that since I was always so open and honest with everyone about the wacky stuff I do outside of work, they always expected me to snap one day and do something completely out there.

She ended by saying she was proud of me, that not many people actually go for their dreams like that, and actually offered my job back for when I return (not sure I’ll ever take that offer). As the week went on that’s all everyone talked about in my office of about 100 people. People I didn’t even know stopped me in the hall asking about the trip and wishing me luck. Everyone doubted, prodded and criticized my plans.  ”You’re going through Iran? What about food and water? What if you get bit by a snake? Do you know any of these languages? What if you get robbed? Do you have a job lined up for when you get back?” Every single nonsensical question got asked.  With all of the commotion around the office, my boss thought it would be best that I leave a week early while still being compensated for the unworked week. I happily obliged.

With my actual last day of work not far away, I decided it was a good idea to send out a resignation e-mail to the entire company stating my intentions of quitting and linking my blog so everyone could follow me on my life journey. The e-mail went out to 5000 employees Thursday morning, some I knew, most I didn’t. I explained that I was not leaving the company out of dissatisfaction with work, but to pursue a dream and start living a more purposeful life. I received responses in the hundreds, people wishing me well, people saying that I was an inspiration and that they always wanted to make something like this happen in their lives but never got the courage to make the move, people worried for me, but not a single angered response.

That Thursday my trip was the talk of the entire company, at one point my friend said that everyone had my blog, New Life Travel, up on their company computers or maps of Asia and the Middle East. Friday was not only my final day, but also, coincidentally, the company’s holiday party, where my departure was the drunken center of conversation. People screamed at me from left and right, “You’re gonna die! (jokingly)”  ”Please take lots of pictures and be safe!” Everyone was excited for me but scared at the same time.

The CEO of the company was present at the party and I was first a little worried that she would say something negative to me about the mass e-mail I sent to her entire company.  She came up to me and said what I pulled the other day was incredibly bold, and that by following my dream and stepping outside of the mold, I’ll be a better person when I return, and will be an even more valuable asset when I return to work, she even offered a job for when I return, which I politely thanked her for.

The rest of the night provided many emotional goodbyes, as people started to cry as I made my exit.  I’m pretty sure the tears were less for me and more for themselves, that hopefully I was stirring up something inside them that screamed out, “Go for what you want in life!”

—

What was your financial situation before and after you left and how do you plan to account for it?

A major influence for the possibility of such an extended lifestyle of travel was the book Vagabonding by Rolf Potts.  In the book he dispels the notion that long-term travel is something reserved for the super rich. In fact, he asserts that the opposite is true.  Over the past year or so I have saved enough slave wages to keep me afloat for a long, long time given the lifestyle I will be living in the Middle East and Asia. So, given the timeframe of my decision I’ve been able to adequately prepare financially and I must say that saving up this young adult nest egg has been a very gratifying portion of the journey so far.

To think of  how little I actually had to give up to create so much value in my life is amazing.  Like I said, I was an entirely different person about a year ago. I look at those savings as my liberation money and the energy and intentions I have created from that liberation will lead to much value down the road.

—

What professional goals do you have now that you’re a free man?

So far I have learned many valuable lessons in branding myself with New Life Travel.  I find it amazing that the internet is so effective at unifying like-minded people and attracting people around a given topic.  I have loved learning about other people who have created Location Independent Business’ for themselves through the internet using multiple strategies.  For now, I just hope to build awareness of New Life Travel and I know once I get more eyeballs and people following my content, I will be able to use it for good.

My main professional intention is to build the blog into a philanthropic hub. I eventually plan to use the site to raising awareness for several causes that relate to my story.  The foundations that I have in mind to raise money and awareness for are The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, as I saw first-hand the effect that suicide has on the world, Cambodia’s Hope Orphanage, which is an orphanage a friend of mine recently died serving, and Doctors without Borders. For now I am just taking life a step at a time while keeping these intentions in mind and believing that they will one day be a reality.

—

What personal goals do you have now?

I feel like I have already achieved so many of my personal goals in just making the decision to leave work, I’ve never felt more alive and connected with my friends and family.  It’s been an amazing personal development so far. My main goal with this biking journey that I will be taking is to really face doubt in life and prove to myself that anything is possible with the right mindset.  New Life Travel will be a detailed account of my personal development through thick and thin as I set goals and make them a reality.  I want this bike trip to only be the beginning for New Life Travel.  I want to just keep pushing the limit in terms of what is possible in life and document it to prove that almost anything is possible.

As I said in my blog, ” It’s my passion to involve all of you in the transformation of this vision.” I really want to listen to the people who enjoy what I’m doing and get inspiration from them to do more ridiculous things in life.  I am a strong proponent of the notion that our thought determine our reality, and most of my confidence right now comes from my positive thoughts and positive vision for my life. By being grateful for what you have and grateful that you can have what you want as long as you go for it, I believe that the universe will conspire to make your dreams come true.

—

What would you suggest to aspiring wage slave rebels who want to quit but who are scared?

From my experience so far, my best advice is to hone in on what you truly want out of life and start making a plan to get it.  Don’t focus in on the logistics, just focus on the fact that if you want it bad enough you can without a doubt have it.  That is the fire you’ll need to make the moves in the moment that will bring what you want into your reality.  Making your wage slave escape will only be as daunting as you make it, and remember that you’re the only party that matters in this decision.

If you let outside influences like your resume, the economy, and, yes, even your friends and family guide your decision, it will be next to impossible to ever get out alive.  Please trust me because I saw that it will all work out if you listen to your intuition and follow you heart. I wish you all of the luck in the world and would love to have everyone along for the ride!

Related posts

1. Diary of a Wage Slave Rebel: A Brief Introduction to my Madness
2. Education is an excuse: In defense of dropping out
3. Five Things Lifestyle Designers Should Be Thankful For Today
4. How to Find Your Core in a Shell of Ambiguity
5. Quitting for Fun and Profit – or – How to Get Everything You Want in One Difficult Step