By Joost Narraina, Strategic Creative Director
Four years ago, I walked away from €80,000 annually at Philip Morris International to start Majortale with no guaranteed income.
Everyone thought I was crazy. Stable multinational job, clear career progression, excellent benefits. Why risk it all for the uncertainty of entrepreneurship?
Looking back, leaving that salary was the best financial decision I ever made. But not for the reasons you might think.
The Philip Morris salary wasn't just money. It was security, prestige, and a clear path forward. Digital Lead for Reduced Risk Products, managing campaigns across multiple markets, working with budgets larger than most startups' entire revenue.
But I realized something: I was building someone else's vision with my strategic thinking.
Every creative decision had to be approved by layers of management. Every campaign needed to fit corporate templates. My best ideas got diluted by committee review.
I was well-paid to execute other people's strategies, not develop my own.
During my four years at PMI, I discovered I'm built for creating, not maintaining. The corporate structure that provided stability also limited the strategic creative work that energized me most.
My strongest performance reviews came when I solved problems that didn't have established processes. Launching new affiliates in Curaçao. Developing digital strategies for emerging markets. Creating something from nothing.
The pattern was clear: I thrived when building, struggled when optimizing existing systems.
The final moment came during a strategy meeting where I presented a campaign concept I'd developed over months. The idea was solid, the business case clear, the creative direction distinctive.
It got killed because it didn't fit the corporate brand guidelines perfectly.
That's when I realized the €80k salary was actually limiting my earning potential. I was trading strategic creative freedom for financial security, but that trade-off was capping both my impact and my income.
Leaving wasn't impulsive. I spent six months preparing:
Saved enough for 12 months of living expenses Built relationships with potential clients while still employed Developed systems and processes I could scale independently Most importantly, I identified the specific value I could provide better than large organizations
The value proposition became clear: strategic creative direction without corporate bureaucracy, senior expertise without agency overhead, business understanding without committee dilution.
Year 1: €125,000 revenue (57% increase from salary) Year 2: €413,000 revenue (413% increase from corporate income) Year 3: €455,000 revenue with better work-life balance Year 4: Three companies, multiple revenue streams, complete creative freedom
But the financial success wasn't the biggest change. The quality of work improved dramatically when I could think strategically without corporate constraints.
Corporate job: Paid to execute strategies developed by others Entrepreneurship: Paid to develop and execute strategic solutions
Corporate job: Success measured by corporate metrics Entrepreneurship: Success measured by client business results
Corporate job: Creativity limited by brand guidelines and approval processes Entrepreneurship: Creativity directed by business objectives and performance data
Corporate job: Single income source dependent on organizational decisions Entrepreneurship: Multiple income streams controlled by strategic choices
Security: No guaranteed monthly income Benefits: Health insurance, pension contributions, paid vacation Career ladder: Clear progression path within established structure Social status: Prestigious company name on business cards
Freedom: Complete control over strategic creative decisions Income potential: No salary cap limiting earning capacity Impact: Direct connection between creative work and business results Time: Ability to choose projects and clients aligned with personal values
Entrepreneurship taught me skills corporate life never would:
Business development and client relationship management Financial planning and cash flow optimization Strategic partnership development Personal brand building and thought leadership
These skills compounded my earning potential far beyond what corporate advancement could provide.
This isn't about everyone leaving corporate jobs. It's about recognizing when your current situation limits your potential and having the courage to make strategic changes.
Signs you might be in the wrong place: Your best ideas get diluted by approval processes You're building someone else's vision with your strategic thinking Your earning potential is capped by organizational salary bands You thrive when creating but struggle when maintaining existing systems
Don't quit impulsively. Plan strategically:
Identify the specific value you provide better than large organizations Build relationships and test market demand while still employed Save enough runway to focus on building rather than surviving Develop systems that can scale beyond trading time for money
Leaving the €80k salary wasn't about rejecting security. It was about recognizing that the security was actually limiting my potential for both impact and income.
The best financial decision isn't always the safest one. Sometimes it's the one that aligns your strategic abilities with unlimited earning potential.
Four years later, the annual revenue from my three companies exceeds what I would have earned in corporate advancement, with complete creative freedom and work that creates genuine value for clients.
The €80k salary was the price I paid for playing it safe. Leaving it was the investment I made in building something major.
Stay great,
Joost
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