Way Out #8: From High-Tech Success to Micro-School Magic: How Lauren Tarpley Found Her "Ikigai"
After a 20-year career in tech strategy and customer success, a breast cancer diagnosis at 34, and 11 surgeries, Lauren Tarpley reached a moment of clarity. When corporate culture revealed itself in the wake of her medical leave, she chose not to double down — she chose to redesign. Today, she’s building a micro-nature school on six acres of raw land, running The Farmacy CHS, and living what she calls 97% her dream. Lauren’s Way Out isn’t about escape. It’s about reclamation.
Way Out #7: From Emmy-Winning Producer to Entrepreneur and Puppeteer with Lisa Weiss
She spent years at the pinnacle of television as an Emmy-winning producer for Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. But when a layoff coincided with a high-risk pregnancy, Lisa Weiss was forced to reimagine her identity without the safety net of a "dream job." In this episode, Lisa reveals how she escaped the trap of the "unlived life," why she turned down venture capital advice to follow her gut, and how a 7-minute puppet show about mansplaining unlocked more business confidence than any boardroom meeting.
Way Out #6: From Rising Star in Logistics Management to Nomad with Taylor Surdyke
On paper, Taylor Sordike had the American Dream: a husband, a suburban home, and a rising career in logistics. But deep down, she knew she was settling for "safety" rather than alignment. In this post, Taylor reveals how leaving a "good enough" marriage gave her the muscle memory to walk away from corporate life, buy a camper van, and follow her intuition to the Smokies. Her advice for anyone standing on the edge of a pivot? "Do it scared."
Way Out #5: From Corporate Art Director to Watercolor Artist with Ken Stanek
Ken Stanek doesn’t have a "career path" in the traditional sense. He has a series of experiments, pivots, and intuitive leaps that eventually landed him exactly where he belongs.
From shivering as a bike messenger in NYC winters to designing PowerPoints for pharmaceutical giants, Ken spent two decades trying to fit his creative square peg into a corporate round hole. Today, he is a full-time artist, muralist, and illustrator who has finally stopped pretending.
Way Out #4: From Professor to Tech Entrepreneur with Dr. Risa Stein
Most of us are taught to be strong. Push through. Don’t complain. Be grateful for the tenure, the house, the title.
Dr. Risa Stein did all of that. By her mid-30s, she had checked every box: PhD, marriage, child, tenure-track career. From the outside, it looked like success.
On the inside, it was slowly killing her.
Way Out #3: From a 6,000 Sq Ft House to Worldschooling in Spain with Jane Hermstedt
After climbing the corporate ladder and buying the dream home, Jane realized she was spending her weekends managing a house instead of living a life. Tired of the guilt she felt sneaking out of the office at 5 PM just to see her son, Jane shares in this adventurous yet deeply practical conversation how she combined a concrete vision with math to trade the American Dream for a life of travel.
Way Out #2: From Praying to Get Fired to Quadrupling Her Income with Christine Bridger
After years of climbing the agency ladder, Christine Bridger found herself praying to get fired. In this grounded, deeply human conversation, she shares how small, intentional steps, mindset work, and trust helped her leave corporate life and build a more joyful, abundant one.
Way Out #1: Corporate Ladder to Costa Rican Freedom with Mike Messeroff
After quitting a successful corporate job and traveling the world, Mike Messeroff found himself more depressed than ever. In this deeply personal story, he shares how joy, mindfulness, and generational healing helped him reclaim his purpose, and how you can too.