“I don’t want to start a food business,” I told my husband after completing a 5 week course on how to start a food business.

“But you made that big announcement,” he said. “What will people think?”

“Honestly? I’m not worried about what people will think. And I’m not sure why you are.”

He shrugged his shoulders and said, “I’m not sure either.”

Just like that, I’ve decided NOT to start a food business

Here’s why:

• A food business requires a high financial risk. And I’m not interested in taking that risk or making that investment.
• I don’t have the desire. Taking the time to get licensing, design labels, source products and packaging, drive 30 minutes (or more) to a commercial kitchen or worrying about refrigeration? Not interested in that either.

What I REALLY want is to invite friends/family over and make them hummus.

Which I did earlier this month. The hummus took 5 minutes to make in my own kitchen, no fancy packaging needed. Plus, I was able to send them home with their own small portion, no special licensing required.

That was enough.

Without taking these steps – to get my ServSafe certification and complete this 5 week course – I never would have come to this realization.

You know what I learned? It’s OK to Quit

We live in a stick it out world where quitting doesn’t often come up as an option. To that I say #shedtheformality.

Since 2006 I quit…

• A lucrative marketing job to pursue my passion for yoga/fitness
• Teaching yoga/fitness to start an online wellness magazine
• The online magazine to become Executive Director of the South Shore Women’s Business Network
• The women’s network to launch my own women’s conference & community
• Hosting the women’s conference and rebranded to Engage The Room offering programs in public speaking, networking and team building.
• Engage The Room and got a low-stress, part-time job at Trader Joe’s (didn’t see that coming, did you?) 
• That lead to the food business idea, which you already know I quit.
• Also, I quit Trader Joe’s after 6 months

None of the above decisions were taken lightly and all required a good amount of reflection and curiosity. I always wanted to make sure decisions were made from a place of desire/want vs. “I can’t” or “This is too hard”. There is a difference.

There were times when I wanted to quit because the action felt “too hard.” But with the right support, I was able to get my head on straight and persevere. And I’m so glad I did.

Because the lessons and skills learned from all of these starts and stops lead me to what’s next. 

I quit entrepreneurship and accepted a new job. 

Wait, what?!? It popped up on LinkedIn and sounded perfect for me. A chance to use the skills I’ve developed in an organization that appreciates my energy, ideas and “formality-free” approach. Plus they offer great benefits 😉.  Application to accepted offer took less than 3 weeks. I start July 11 and will share more after that.

Besides, entrepreneurship was never my dream. Singing, dancing, writing stories, making people laugh. Those were my dreams. And I feel a pull to put more time and energy into them. We’ll see how that unfolds!

Now, I finally feel like me. With that comes a lightness, renewed energy and confidence because I know from my past that I will rock the future.

The Bottom Line

Starting and quitting allowed me to chisel away what doesn’t work and keep and develop what does. (It takes work!!) I’ll continue to make these (sometimes tough) decisions so that I can do my best work while staying true to who I am.

Should you, too, want to do your best work while staying true to who you are, know that it’s OK to quit. With the courage to drop what’s weighing you down and make a bold move (one works for you regardless of what other people think), you can feel lighter, more in control and more confident.

What will people think about that?