Expert spills secrets to success after quitting your job: ‘Be willing to look stupid’

The key to successfully quitting your job is simple: “You have to be willing to look stupid.”

At least that’s what self-made millionaire and online business coach Jenay Rose advises clients who are looking to give notice and join the roughly approximate 70 million Americans who’ve ditched their jobs since the onset of the pandemic. A record 4.4 million employed Americans left their jobs this past September alone.

“For decades people have been stuck on the hamster wheel of being disgruntled, underpaid and under appreciated employees,” Rose, 31, told The Post. 

“But now, since the pandemic, people are no longer willing to go to a job they hate, working for a boss they don’t trust, at a company they don’t respect, to drive a mission they don’t believe in,” she added, referring to the recent trend dubbed the Great Resignation.

The movement, also known as the Big Quit, describes the dawning era of workers abandoning their jobs due to COVID-related health risks, work burnout and/or their unwillingness to return to the office after working from home since the nationwide lockdown of March 2020. 

Rose resigned from a corporate job at Coca-Cola in 2017 and went on to become a successful digital business expert. She now advises people on how to lead successful lives after leaving their traditional careers through her digital workshop, the Boss Method. 

“When I quit, everyone one in my life thought that I was crazy. And I was OK with that,” the Long Beach, California native said, laughing. 

“I tell my clients [especially those looking to start their own businesses after quitting their jobs] that it’s alright if their family and friends don’t support their decision,” she continued. “All they need is to identify their unique skillset and make a plan on how to monetize it.”

Here are some more successful resignation tips from people who’ve taken the plunge. 

Stash some cash

Clothing designer Brittany Ashley, of Brooklyn, squirreled away thousands before quitting what she said was a “toxic” job as a production lead for a noted New York-based fashion house in November. 

“Earlier this year I set a goal of saving up $10,000 before I took the big leap,” said the Flatbush resident, 26, noting that the nest egg helps cover the costs of food, rent and overhead for her new swimwear business.

“Having some money saved is definitely important,” she added. “It relieves some of my financial burdens now that I quit, and it allows me more time to focus [on my own company].”

Since leaving her job, Ashley has transformed her side hustle bathing suit brand, Mineral Melange, into her full-time job. Her posh pieces recently made their public debut during New York Fashion Week. 

Rise and shine at a reasonable time 

Sloane Elizabeth opted out of the workforce in early 2020, just before the pandemic hit the Big Apple. The Manhattan entrepreneur went on to launch her own online intuitive-eating, anti-diet coaching business, Food Freedom — which earned her a six-figure income this year. She attributed her success, in part, to getting an early start each day. 

“I wake up anywhere between 6:45 a.m. and 8:00 a.m.,” said Elizabeth, 24, who is one of Rose’s clients. “I allow myself some flexibility around the exact time I get up, but I maintain a pretty early morning routine because it helps me set a solid foundation for my day that allows me to journal, meditate, stretch and make a really loving breakfast for myself before I jump into business-related tasks.”

Mindfully map out each day 

To maintain a productive schedule after walking away from a job, Rose suggested that people create daily “to be completed” lists.

“Writing out the things you want to accomplish each day really helps you focus on each task and stay on track without feeling overwhelmed,” she said, advising folks to organize each daily duty by priority, from most important to least, and designate a specific amount of time to complete each event in a Google calendar or day planner.

“This helps keep you accountable to your [post-employment] plan,” Rose added. “So if you want to develop a new business plan, apply to new jobs, if you want to spend time crocheting or whatever you’d like to do, you can strategically fit it all into your day.”