Corporate Quitter #13

Hey y’all,

It’s Gabby from Corporate Quitter 👋

Last week, I ran the Austin Half Marathon (13 miles) completely unprepared.

This isn’t a humble brag - I’m legitimately shocked.

But what’s even more shocking, is how it so perfectly mimics my experience

in business thus far.

The first half marathon I did was in NYC in 2019.

I trained aggressively for 12 weeks, was dieting like crazy, and took it WAY. TOO. SERIOUSLY

Yes, I completed it and finished strong at 2 hours 19 minutes, but my recovery sucked. 

This is what it similarly felt like in my first year in business (2021).

I worked myself like a dog, hustling nonstop to the point of excessive burnout (even more so than I was from working corporate).

It took me 4-6 weeks to recover from my half marathon in 2019, and it took me 1.5 years to recover from my business sprint (~7 months) in 2021.

I didn’t want to keep running myself into the ground, so this half marathon had to be different.

I had already ‘checked the box’ by completing one prior, so the pressure was off (kind of).

I didn’t care how fast I ran or where I placed.

I just wanted to see if I could do it.

It was less about showing off to the world, and more about proving to myself that running 13 miles is a small feat in comparison to all the fuck shit I’ve dealt with the past 3 years while building a business.

…But I was nervous.

Really nervous.

And I was also seriously unprepared (I barely trained for it).

So unprepared to the point that the night before the race, I was secretly hoping that I’d sleep through my alarm.

But I didn’t, so I ran it, and I’m glad I did.

The first 3 miles SUCKED. 

It was 37 degrees, it was all uphill, and the sun hadn’t fully risen yet.

If I hadn’t been around a crowd of 19,000 people, I probably would’ve bailed at this point. 

But I didn’t.

By mile 4, I had started to gain more confidence.

By mile 5, I had tears in my eyes because of how overjoyed I was to see that my body was still holding up.

But by mile 9, my body started hurting.

By mile 11, my knees were screaming.

My tears of joy started feeling like tears of defeat.

I half walked/half ran to the finish line, and I was a bit mad at myself for resting instead of pushing myself (younger me would have).

But I finished the 13 miles, and I cried like a f*cking baby.

The craziest thing is that even though I was unprepared, I still finished only 14 minutes later than my previous half marathon.

Even better, my recovery has been GREAT.

When I think about these two races, similar to what my approach felt like with my two ‘races’ in business (serious businesswoman in 2021 versus artist/creative in 2023), it changed my perspective.

This entire time in business, I could’ve chosen the slower more graceful route, and yet I still would’ve ended up at the finish line.

I could’ve slept in, made more time for connection and play, and gradually built momentum instead of rushing.

I could’ve approached life from the perspective of a marathon versus a sprint, and maybe there would have been less self-inflicted judgment, frustration, pain, and suffering along the way.

Though I think I’ll always be someone who likes to run through life, eager to do and see it all, I just ordered new running sneakers and I’m excited to embrace running consistently and steadily as a reminder that:

THERE IS NEVER ANY REASON TO RUSH.

Quick reminders to help you shift your perspective:

1️⃣ SLOW DOWN. Don’t confuse busyness with importance. Remember that action doesn’t always lead to progress.

2️⃣ Emotions are clues, NOT conclusions. By treating your emotions as clues, you open yourself to learn more about your inner world which leads to healthier processing and decision-making.

3️⃣ You don’t have to make everything happen at once. Keep fanning the flames and adding fuel to the fire because a slow burn can grow into a roaring flame with time.

4️⃣ Avoid the temptation to make choices that are familiar. Switch things up, even if it’s something small. A small ripple can create a big wave.

5️⃣ You are ready. JUMP

Thanks for reading!

Gabby 🤘

This communication is not intended as business counsel. It serves as a weekly briefing on entrepreneurship and my initiatives, designed for informational and entertainment purposes. Revenue may be generated through sponsorships, affiliate links, and digital product sales