About a year ago, I was going through some tough times with my personal life and work. I decided to leave my time-consuming, full-time job with the hope of finding something new, something exciting, something that gave me the freedom to have a balance between work and life. 

Nine-to-five jobs were never my thing, or at least I didn’t think they were or know any better. I knew other people could put in a 40-hour-week and make the commitment work, but I couldn’t fathom how. It seemed like a pipe dream because the career I knew monopolized my life.  

Something had to change  

My job was eating me up mentally and putting a dagger in my side as my relationship was falling apart. I had powerful reasons to do something. It was hard to believe I was about to step away from a high-paying job, and even though the self-doubt was strong, I did it. With nothing lined up for a new job, I decided to bet on myself to just figure it out.  

Unfortunately, the relationship completely fell apart almost immediately after leaving my job. And there I was, jobless and homeless for the first time. My life took a 180 in a matter of weeks. With no place to live and out of couches to surf, I didn’t have much choice but to pack up my belongings and hit the road. When I left South Florida, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever return.  

And the journey began  

I had no first place or ultimate destination in mind and no commitments to anyone. Something inside told me to just keep driving and trust my faith to land me where I needed to go. Each morning when I woke up, I planned a single day’s route to where I would go and what I wanted to see. It was the ultimate wing-it road trip, completely void of mediocrity.  

Each day opened my eyes to new sites and meeting tons of new people, with nobody to tell me what to do. Exploring the U.S. and doing a grand road trip were always on my bucket list, anyway! During my 27 days on the road, I passed through 14 states and never spent a dollar on a hotel room. That saved a little money.  

Everything changed in the most unlikely place  

Midway through my trip, as I sat in my car in a Runza (fast-food) parking lot in Nebraska, I got a call from a recruiter asking if I was interested in a new opportunity in restaurant management. At that moment, I didn’t think much of the prospect and respectfully declined the inquiry. But I did ask the recruiter about his job in talent recruitment and how he liked it.  

We spent a good hour talking about Goodwin Recruiting and the possibility of my working with this company. The next week, I was sitting in a Planet Fitness lounge taking a Zoom call with an internal recruiter at Goodwin. I quickly realized this was the next step I was looking for, a pivotal point, the “Aha!” moment I needed on this trip to bring clarity to the next chapter in my life.  

Fast forward through the rest of the trip – to a great destination  

Within two weeks of arriving back in my hometown of Spokane, Washington, I started as a Hospitality Recruiter for Goodwin Recruiting. This was one of the most challenging jobs I have ever started, but it has also been the best investment in my career and the most rewarding. I’m my own boss, running my own talent recruiting business. I finally get nights and weekends off and can work whenever and wherever I want. I also get to virtually work with great people across the country.  

Oh, and to take things full circle, one of my first clients was Runza, where it all started on that phone call in one of their parking lots in the Midwest.  

There are times when taking a leap of faith and betting on yourself is what everyone needs to do to get out of a rut. Here’s an impactful saying that I think is worth sharing: “Sometimes when you’re in a dark place, you think you’ve been buried, but you’ve actually been planted.”   

Is talent recruiting in your future, too?  

You don’t have to go on an extended road trip to find a job that offers a balanced lifestyle, freedom to run your own business, and unlimited income potential. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit, consider becoming a Recruiting Partner at Goodwin. It’s a company and culture like no other, and you can work from anywhere.