Financial Independence. I’m Retiring From Corporate Life At 46.

I’ve always said I’d retire at 40 financially independent ever since I was young. 

As I write this, I will be leaving the company in a week at 46. 

So I’m 6 years late 🙂

Even if I am late on my young boy’s dream, I am ahead on the one I had mentally worked out these last years. I was preparing myself to stop corporate at the age of 50. 

But the business is moving fast, and it has outpaced me. 

The group decided to reorganize. I took my chance to start a new life. (Don’t Wait For The Perfect Moment; It Doesn’t Exist. Grow Yourself By Creating It.)

So I leaped to financial independence 4 years early. 

I have considered myself financially independent since the age of 43. But there is a difference between feeling financially free and taking the plunge by cutting off your guaranteed source of income.

The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary. You won’t get rich working for someone else.
— Nassim Nicholas Taleb

Here is my story.

Origin. An entrepreneur at heart. 

I am indeed an entrepreneur at heart. 

At 13, I rented a part of my dad’s market booth and started selling a new collection of children’s shoes. My father was in the women’s and men’s shoe segment. 

I had asked him to give me an advance to buy two children’s models. 

In one summer, I had paid off my debt to my parents and collected more cash than I needed to buy the scooter of my dreams—much to my mother’s despair, who for safety reasons did not want it. 

But here I was, with the cash I needed, and it was even more complicated for my parents to say no. (I finally got it, but my mother was right, it was dangerous)

At the age of 18, my friends took jobs at McDonald’s to finance their student life. I was embarking on another entrepreneurial adventure. 

I had found a unique product in security systems and began selling it. I read the Tom Hopkins book overnight and started going door to door in residential.

I made a lot of money for my age, and I could even help my family who was going through a difficult time. And I also learned a new skill that opened the door to corporate —  sales.

The corporate life. 

And then came the desire to see what the world of corporate looks like. And I’m glad I did it.

I lived an extraordinary adventure with one company. 23 years of a career that took me from salesman to C-level executive in an international group.

I traveled the world, went back to school, graduated from one of the most prestigious business schools in France, worked in different countries, met incredible people, made an excellent living, and learned so much… The list is long. 

I loved my job. But the thing I liked least was the time it took me. My missions got all (or almost all) of my energy. And that’s what made me think about my childhood dream— stop working at 40.

But even if all this seems relatively clear, these last two weeks before leaving my job are more complicated than I imagined. 

The emotional versus the rational. 

Rationally I couldn’t imagine anything better.

It’s a situation I was mentally preparing myself for. And COVID_19 has accelerated my desire to stop. 

I have tested the pleasure of home office. Having breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the family. Putting the kids to bed at night and taking them to school in the morning (when they still want to 😀). 

I couldn’t do all those things because I was always on a plane or in a hotel room. 

But I had underestimated the emotional part. After 23 years in the company, it’s like leaving a part of my family. The memories, difficulties, and successes all mix and make an intense emotional cocktail. I didn’t think I would finish my last speeches with tears in my eyes. 

And this battle between the emotional and the rational brings doubts in the game…

The doubts. 

The doubts about the new life part. 

Did I do the right thing?
Should I have accepted the offer of new jobs?
What will I do with all my time?
Will I enjoy it? 

My little voice doesn’t need much effort to make me doubt. She is good, and she’s been training to challenge me at every decision I make.

My best ally to deal with this is my journal. I observe my thoughts, write them down, and answer my doubts. And I like to challenge my little voice with this question. 

What’s the worst that can happen to me?

I don’t like it and I start a new adventure with a company. It’s always possible, even if rationally I don’t want to. 

Doubts about the financial independence part.

If you are interested in the subject of the FIRE movement ( Financial Independence Retire Early). The Internet is full of information. 

As usual, when I dug into this subject a few years ago. I read dozens of books on the matter. 

And in the end, the experts disagree (as often). It’s not really that they disagree; it’s that the subject has unknown equations. 

The FIRE( Financial Independence Retire Early) theory is: 

1. You take your annual expenses
2. You multiply it by 25
3. You invest your money and target a 4% return
4. In theory, you don’t need to work your whole life😀

Experts talk a lot about points 2 and 3, fine-tuning the numbers.

But the unknowns in the equation are your lifespan, the returns (history does not predict the future for the markets), and inflation.

And for me, the cocktail looks like this. I’m leaving a bit before my ideal financial independence targeted year ( 50); I intend to live until 125 years old 😀 and I have no idea about inflation in the future.

Enough to feed my little voice with arguments. 😀

How Am I invested to support my financial independence? 

I”m mainly investing in the markets through one ETF (see here my lazy strategy). I have two apartments I rent, type of bonds product, and a reserve of cash. 

And I’m armed with some principles learned from JL Collins. 

Discover my Resource guide: The 11 books that have influenced my career the most. (Including my favorite of all categories)

1) In the long run, the market always goes up.

2)I don’t believe I can beat the market. 

“I’ve been in this business 61 years and I can’t do it. I’ve never met anybody who can do it. I’ve never met anybody who’s met anybody who can do it.” 
–Jack Bogle.

3) Simplicity. 

“I don’t favor indexing just because it is easier, although it is. Or because it is simpler, although it is that too. I favor it because it is more effective and more powerful in building wealth than the alternatives”
– JL Collins. 

And I powder all this with good tolerance to risks. 

But in the end, I have never tried to live off my returns. And there is a difference between thinking and doing it. 

So here again my little voice teases me. 

What do I want to do now that I reach financial independence?

There are a lot of things I don’t know. But I know for sure that I will give myself 6 months to focus on my family. I am entering a phase where my parents need me more and I’ll spend more quality time with my wife and kids.

Then, I discovered through this blog that I like the experience of writing.

Gathering, organizing my ideas, and putting them on paper (on screens😀). So I’ll focus on that. 

I will continue my learning projects, German, running, and chess. 

And I might get back into entrepreneurship (Solopreneur/Lifestyle business) to feed my curiosity and mitigate my FIRE risks. ( Financial Independence Retire Early)

On December 19, I will work on my life plan for 2022 and more. A process I do every year. And this significant change will make the exercise even more enjoyable. I’ll have a clearer picture after this.

Conclusion. 

I realize how privileged and lucky I am to be able to choose this new life. 

I read dozens of testimonials from people who have been there, and I also expect difficulties. 

But as in all decisions, the part of the unknown, new, and risks is also what makes the charm. 

I’ll update you in a few weeks or months…

What can you take from that? 

• Invest, Invest, Invest. If you are, or if you’re not interested in financial independence, you’ll reduce enormous stress by having money working from you on the side.
• When you’re on your way to financial independence, enjoy it. Don’t wait the moment like the liberation. There are many great adventures you can live as an employee.
• Learn, Learn, Learn. Judge every business opportunity not only through the lens of the money but also from the learning perspective.
• Always have a side huddle/hobby. You are more performant in your main activity and you never know what can happen.

Disclaimer: I’m not a financial advisor. All information posted is merely for informational purposes. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice. Should you decide to act upon any information on this website, you do so at your own risk.

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Update: What was only a project has become a reality.😃

Financial independence has allowed me to discover two passions. Writing and coaching.

Whenever you’re ready, here are 2 other ways I can help accelerate your growth through coaching :

• You are an individual: You have a bias for action. You’ve achieved a lot. And yet you want more. Let’s connect for a free call and see if we can work together 
• You want to be coached in your work environment.  I help successful leaders become even better. And you pay me only if you succeed (yes, I’m serious). Curious to know more. Learn more here.