Tech Whisperer

OK here goes … Quit your job! Ta-dah! Now I’m not necessarily advocating for you to march into your boss’ office on New Year’s Day and give your two weeks’ notice. You can do that if you’re mentally prepared for what’s next, but it’s more about that little voice in the back of your head that thinks about a different career or new opportunity. Let’s go ahead and let that little voice be heard. You’ll be happy that you did.

You know how I know this? I quit MY job this year ... For 20 years I was the host of the Mornin’ Thang on K92, and while I loved the creative output and ability to be part of a community, that little voice in the back of my head wanted more. It wanted to run a business, be my own boss, and use my skills in a way that could empower other small businesses to grow and thrive. I started The JPG Agency in 2019 as a side hustle, but as things grew, I could see that now was the time to take the plunge to try to turn that into the main hustle.

Was that a scary decision to make? Absolutely! Heck, I’m still fairly terrified and wondering what I’m doing with my life at least twice a week, but sometimes we need to scare ourselves a little bit. Most of my working life I made the “safe” choice … took the opportunity presented to me, hunkered down, and stayed.

And I think that’s what the majority of us do. The unknown is super scary. What if it doesn’t work? What if I regret my decision? Those are valid questions that run through our heads, but the reality is we will never know the answers until we actually take a chance.

I’m pretty sure most people don’t look back on their lives and think, “Boy I sure am glad I never took any risks and always chose the safe path!” Instead, they tend to regret the risks they DIDN’T take and spend the rest of their lives wondering what could’ve been. Don’t do it! If you have career goals and dreams, now is the time to start working toward them. You don’t have to quit your job tomorrow, but you can start working toward a day when maybe you can. Good luck.

By Zack Jackson

Since it’s the end of the year and invariably we all start questioning our existence as soon as Auld Lang Syne hits the speakers on New Year’s Eve, I figured I’d givesome advice as we look to 2023. Plus, we’re getting all “entrepreneury” in this month’s issue, so it seemed to fit.

Zack Jackson is co-founder of The JPG Agency small business creative firm. Reach him at zack@thejpgagency.com.