June 5, 2017

A year ago I quit my job …

An article by Abadesi Osunsade [also featured in episode 61], a London-based entrepreneur of Hustle Crew.

I don’t consider myself particularly risk-loving, but as the company’s priorities had changed, so too had my role.

I deliberated the decision over a period of a week or so with friends and family and on a sunny May day in the Berlin office, I video-called my line manager and handed in my resignation.

Sure, my colleagues thought I was crazy, but deep down inside in that moment in time… I realized the only person’s whose thoughts and feelings mattered were mine.

Since then I’ve done way more crazy/brave/risky things… I toyed with the idea of being a VC and had lots of coffee dates with associates (I soon changed my mind).

I interviewed for C-level roles at venture-backed startups across London, Paris, and Berlin.

And then I ran a series of careers workshops that ended up being the beginnings of Hustle Crew, my first venture.

In the few short months since we launched, we’ve become one of the first startups to be accepted into The Family’s London incubator, accepted into the Prince’s Trust Enterprise program, and delivered training for Pinterest’s entire Europe team and students at LSE, Oxford, UCL. We’ve also mentored over a hundred millennials from San Francisco to Shanghai.

Isn’t it funny what happens when you start to conquer your fears? In my case, I’ve found that each test and challenge has built my resilience and made me braver.

What fears are holding you back from growing in your career? I’m not saying you should quit your job! But is a fear of failure holding you back from challenging yourself? A fear of embarrassment holding you back from asking questions in a meeting?

A very wise man once said, “there is nothing to fear but fear itself” and I get it now. Fear is a limitation. It’s a trap. Be very afraid of fear because it is a fake friend. Stare it in the face and keep moving forward with your goals. And remember you have me and Hustle Crew right behind you to give you support.

Abadesi Osunsade

Abadesi Osunsade is the founder and CEO of Hustle Crew. She's also the co-host of the Techish podcast and the author of Dream Big Hustle Hard.

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