By 1. What led you to this moment?
I was a headhunter in Tokyo for over five years. I quit in 2023, but it was not the first time I thought about quitting. I had window-shopped and fantasized about my exit for many months before quitting. Years one and two and was so wrapped up grinding to prove I could “make it” that I didn’t think about whether I liked my job or not.
Actually, I did like aspects of my job: it was a rush to close deals, a few colleagues were great people, and I learned a lot about the business world. Still, I wish I had left earlier because I knew deep down it wasn't what I wanted. And my new business would be further along. It’s so easy to stay in something that you don’t care about because it pays the bills, and sometimes that's okay.
One thing that broke it for me was a conversation with a senior leader where he yelled at me in public and threatened to fire me over a misunderstanding. I had been grinding for years and doing a lot of extracurricular work to help the company, but in that moment at Starbucks, it felt like the illusion dissolved. He wasn't a villain; he was actually an important mentor to me, and this was a stressful job where emotions could flare up, but still, it made me question things. Why was being fired even scary at all? Why was I so loyal?
I decided I didn’t want to wake up in 10 years and have no other skills, so I planned my escape. Around that time, I read the book Die With Zero, which solidified thoughts I had in my head about not missing out on life.
I had no idea what I wanted to do next, except I knew I wanted to go surf. I went on a 10-day silent retreat, and that helped clear my mind. Then I found a life coach, a super smart guy at Google named Bill Ao, and he helped me through my transition. I decided to go get my own life coach certification, because it used a lot of the skills I gained in my last career, without having to sell something I didn't believe in: asking good questions, getting to the heart of people's issues, active listening, etc. I could use my skills to help people figure out what they want to do next.
2. How has your life changed since you left your corporate career?
For me, quitting corporate was also accompanied by quitting city life.
I had savings from the job, and I calculated I could live 3-5 years without working because the countryside in Japan is so cheap. Almost immediately after moving, I found a community.
Tokyo always felt like I had to work so hard to maintain relationships with friends outside of work, scheduling coffee dates months in advance. Most of my connections were very surface-level or even transactional.
Out in the country, it was different. I started helping a local elderly couple on their peanut farm. I still work for them every Tuesday, and they’ve asked me to inherit their farm. I made friends with a group of foreign and Japanese surfers, and I can call them up to go surfing or for lunch anytime. I have friends I can rely on if I want to build a bamboo trellis or compost toilet. Local farmers who give me vegetables. I feel eminently good about my lifestyle, and it attracts outside attention as well.
When I started posting about my daily life on LinkedIn and Instagram, my coaching clients and random strangers started reaching out, wanting to come out. Before I knew it, I was charging guests to come and live a day in my life. It’s awesome.
I run adventure daytrips and also multi-day digital detox retreats. Everyone needs to slow down once in a while, and coming out here reminds people how to do so and why it’s important.
When I started to pursue what I actually care about, doors opened quickly to collaboration. I’m still at the start of my business, but I know this is important work and I’m in no rush to “scale” aggressively. I’d rather enjoy building it sustainably.
I guess that is one thing I had to unlearn- it was always about racing before. Racing against deadlines, racing against the rent payments, my mind racing when I was trying to sleep. Now I still get a lot done, but I go more naturally. I get to listen more. June is rainy, which is amazing for planting seeds (both literal seeds in my farm, and updating my website/offer, etc.). When there are waves: surf. I feel much more in touch with myself, with nature, and with a bigger mission these days.
3. What's the most ridiculous problem you've encountered since you left your corporate career?
Probably just myself falling into old habits of overdoing it. I have a voice in my head that says “it’s never enough,” which was great in recruitment because it pushed me to close more and more deals without feeling satisfied. But it also led me to burnout. That voice is still around, so I need to make sure to turn down the volume. I do that through being in nature, interacting with the community, regular therapy/coaching sessions, and putting down the screens.
