I remember the moment I took the decision to quit my job and start on my own.
I’d already been playing with the idea for more than a year at that point, but I’d never actually walked my talk.
It was my 4th year in that company and, even though I’d always been a passionate, hard-working corporate professional, I was starting to feel I didn’t belong there anymore. I’d look in the mirror and I just couldn’t find that Corina I knew was ready and eager to climb the ladder of corporate success and reap the rewards of the 40-hour working weeks in 5 years’ time (or maybe even more).
Everything started when I found myself without both my parents (almost) out of the blue. It was a terrible experience, but that’s a story for another time. My point is that once I lost them, my reality changed drastically, and I started to see life through different eyes.
I was 28 and feeling lost in a shallow world I had created for myself without even noticing (AND while being proud of it!). Just because I was doing what everyone else around me was doing. Working to pay off debt and buy more things (80% of which no one actually needs, to be honest).
So… That was my trigger. It got me thinking about what a joyful, meaningful life really meant to me. And as obvious as it might have been, it just hit me then: What is the only constant that I’ve had throughout my adult life?
The answer: It has always been languages.
What’s all about the languages in the mix, you’d say, right?
My love story with languages started back when I was 5. I got asked what I wanted to be when I’d grow up.
“I want to travel the world and talk to people in their own language”, I answered.
I started learning French at the age of 8, Spanish a little while after that, and, funnily enough, I didn’t seriously start with English until high school. I then went to University to study Russian and Portuguese, and by the time I finished my studies, I had already got the certificate of proficiency in German as well.
In 2010, after learning quite a few languages on my own and getting my language certificates, I developed a language learning blueprint and tested it while learning German from scratch myself. I nailed it and I’ve been successfully using this same method to teach others how to learn any language ever since.
Basically, apart from my corporate job, I’ve been teaching languages as a hobby and helping people transform their lives by achieving language mastery with ease all along. I just didn’t see it was exactly what I should have been focusing on all along.
So… when I asked myself what was truly meaningful to me, I could see what was flashing through my mind:
- The thrilled faces of my students celebrating their success
- The “thank you” messages I get years after sending students off to study or to work in another country;
- The successes, failures, and comebacks I see my students experience on their way to language mastery;
- …… and so much more!
My A-ha Moment was a No Brainer!
It took me a few months to have the guts and do it, but I did.
I quit my job and started teaching languages full-time while travelling the world.
On my schedule, on my terms.
I was finally walking my talk and doing what I loved most. I was finally being true to myself.
I also started collecting experiences rather than things:
- I hopped on a plane and went skydiving in Dubai, and then decided to go watch the full moon rise over the desert;
- I lived in Portugal for 2 months and went to the beach every day to watch the sunrise;
- I made a road trip throughout Europe for almost a month, experiencing spectacular sceneries and breathtaking sunsets;
- I went to the Alps to watch the Milky Way and I slept under the starry sky;
- I travelled solo by car to 4 different countries in 48h, in a 2-day challenge I set up for myself
And finally, 6 months ago I also took the decision to move to another country for a while.
All of these, while successfully running my online business.
It’s been almost two years since I quit my job. I’m not saying it’s been an easy road, or that it’s for everyone. It just depends on each and everyone what a fulfilling life truly means.
To me, it’s been an amazing journey so far! I totally love my life as a businesswoman, the joy and fulfillment it has brought to my reality. I’ve grown so much as a person and as a professional. I’ve learned and expanded and enjoyed every single bit of the process.
Starting my own business around my passion for languages has definitely been the best decision of my life so far.
Your life is what you make of it.
Don’t be afraid to change direction, because you are only one step away from a totally different life.
Believe in yourself, trust your gut and follow your passion!