We hear it all the time from hustle bros and entrepreneurial gurus: the only way to live your best life is to quit the 9-to-5 ASAP and build your own business empire. Otherwise, you’ll die sad and alone and probably poor as well.

It’s easy to disparage the “traditional” job. We talk about escaping the rat race and finding financial freedom. In this episode, we talk about how even though the regular career path can be tedious at times and even lead to burnout, you don’t HAVE to quit your 9-to-5 to have a good life and build wealth.

Topics covered in this episode on keeping your 9-to-5

* We talk about hustle culture and how it can be toxic

* There are risks that come with quitting a 9-to-5 and you need to think about them

* Consider the fact that starting a business can take a lot more time than you think

* Are you prepared for the stress it might put on your family?

* Not everyone wants to be an entrepreneur, and that’s just fine

* We talk about how you can build wealth while working a 9-to-5

* Sometimes even having a business and doing entrepreneurship looks suspiciously like a “real” job

* Consider adding a side hustle to your 9-to-5 if it fits your goals and objectives

* If you decide to transition away from a 9-to-5, be intentional about it and plan ahead

* Acknowledgement that there are issues with a W2 job and that you could easily lose that as quickly as you lose income from a freelance business or entrepreneurial venture

Sources used for this episode on sticking with your “real” job

* Small business failure rate as reported by Lending Tree

* Collected data on how much small business owners work

* As promised, the essay from Judy Brady (Syfers): I Want a Wife

* Use the Investor.gov calculator to estimate your potential earnings through investing

* Miranda’s post on HSAs on her website, as well as something she wrote for Money Talks News

* Article on the value of employee benefits from Nerdwallet

* Listen to this great episode from Buzzsprout with Sarah about her transitions from teacher to freelancer and what that decision-making process looked like

Our financial resource

Hustle culture is steeped in toxic productivity. Before you decide to use it as a way to escape your current woes, take a step back. Our friend Tiffany Grant has a great look at hustle culture, its pros and cons and how it can lead to burnout.

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* Sarah Li-Cain

* Miranda Marquit

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