In his second chapter, Anthony Hong describes some early impressions after leaving his banking job behind.
Inevitability I found myself outside the bank building, without a building pass, car keys and phone. I was left there alone with a box of personal belongings.
Suffice to say the car and mobile phone were bank property but it still left me feeling a bit cold. When I made the decision, all this came quick. It was time to take care of myself, kick things up a notch as I had a month on “gardening leave” and I had no intentions to garden, Ubering crossed my mind but certainly not landscaping.
My aim was to ensure I was set up for the future and nothing was left unturned so I began researching different types of aggregators, the differences, what roles they played and who to speak to. After I was accredited with my aggregator I discovered the less interaction I had with my aggregator the better their online system worked. The fact is, there is no cheat sheet and you really need to do your research.
I had a good solid four weeks to start completing all my training courses before my employment effectively came to an end. At the start it seemed quite easy, considering I was just going through what I already knew. After the second course it got tough when I realised I was just doing the same thing for different respective industry partners, although I went brain dead I knew this was the beginning. Between courses and mentally jumping off a cliff I had to ensure I also got all my licensing and insurance right. This got me looking into upgrading my certificate to a diploma - not a requirement but I guess I just wanted to obtain a higher level of recognition and credibility for my future clients.
The plan was to line my wall up with credentials, certificates and accreditations. I envisaged bringing my clients into a corner office with city views, sports memorabilia lined along the window sill, a collection of old record labels in the bookshelf and expensive scotch. So far I have a blank wall, a desk, a pile of files, one framed certificate and a water bottle I often refill myself at the local watering hole... it was not a stitch up I keep reminding myself, it’s part of the journey.