Podcast Summary: So Money with Farnoosh Torabi
Episode 1892: This Is the Correct (and Safe) Way to Quit Your Job
Date: October 15, 2025
Guest: Goli Kalkaran, Host of Lessons from a Quitter Podcast
Episode Overview
This episode of So Money explores the cultural stigma around quitting your job and offers advice on how to leave a role thoughtfully and safely—both financially and emotionally. Host Farnoosh Torabi and guest Goli Kalkaran, a life coach and former attorney, discuss why so many people are eyeing the exit in 2024, the hidden fears around quitting, the privilege and planning involved, and how to reframe “quitting” as a positive, empowering choice.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Why Quitting Is So Top-of-Mind in 2024
- Changing Work Landscape: A Microsoft and LinkedIn study found that nearly 50% of workers are considering quitting, even more than during the Great Resignation (03:03).
- Driving Forces: Rising cost of living, desire for more meaningful or better-paying work, and less loyalty to companies that no longer reciprocate (06:30).
Quote:
"The same benefits our parents got, we don’t get… A lot of people became disillusioned and woke up and it was like, why am I giving everything to this company willing to kick me out... I need to look out for myself."
— Goli Kalkaran, (07:39)
2. Destigmatizing Quitting and Career Pivots
- Our culture wrongly ties success to “sticking it out” and labels quitting as failure (05:17).
- Quitting is often seen as selfish or wasteful, especially among children of immigrants or those on “traditional paths.” (11:03)
Quote:
"I didn’t even have the wherewithal to question and be like, maybe this isn’t the path… It doesn’t matter what you want, this is what you do."
— Goli Kalkaran, (11:15)
3. Goli’s Personal Quitting Journey
- Goli shared candidly her experience of taking seven years as an unhappy lawyer before she even began to consider quitting (13:19).
- Initially, she could only imagine lateral moves—"what's adjacent to law?"—before exploring entrepreneurship (13:27-15:53).
Quote:
"The big fear for a lot of people is, am I wasting all of this time? What if I regret it? That was a big one."
— Goli Kalkaran, (14:59)
4. Can You Afford to Quit?
- Financial Reality vs. Mental Drama: There’s a difference between not having the resources to quit and being paralyzed by fear despite having a financial cushion (16:53).
- Practical Advice: Assess your numbers, make a plan—saving up if needed, considering part-time work, or setting a timeline (16:53-18:41).
- Mental Barriers: Many who could afford to quit don’t, due to ingrained fears about losing stability and identity (17:16).
Quote:
"The math is relatively easy to figure out. The rest of it—the mental drama—is what’s hard to overcome."
— Goli Kalkaran, (18:41)
5. How to Explore What’s Next
- Goli describes her own circuitous path: attending random meetups, conducting informational interviews, and experimenting with entrepreneurship (20:01-21:47).
- Her first post-law job was a photo booth business—proving that pivots don’t have to be linear or logical (22:26).
Quote:
"I learned so much in that business… It was such a confidence boost for me to be like, I just learned all these things I had no idea how to do."
— Goli Kalkaran, (22:31)
6. Embracing “Quitting” as Empowerment
- Goli intentionally keeps “quitter” in her brand to reclaim the term and change the narrative (26:54).
- Quitting isn’t necessarily failure—it's often the smartest choice to align with who you are at different stages of life (27:55).
- Life is a series of experiments; endings are natural and necessary for growth (28:18).
Quote:
"Winners quit. They figure out what’s not working and they quit it very quickly and keep moving on."
— Goli Kalkaran, (27:21)
7. What You Really “Quit” When You Stay Stuck
- Staying in a miserable job is itself a form of quitting: quitting on your dreams, on new opportunities (38:44).
- Farnoosh reframes fear: being afraid of quitting is less scary than looking back in 10 years and realizing you settled (38:56).
Quote:
"You not quitting is a form of quitting. You're quitting your dreams, other opportunities, because you’re choosing to stay."
— Goli Kalkaran, (38:44)
8. How to Handle Toxic Bosses or Colleagues
- Not all difficult people are “toxic”—learn to distinguish between abuse and personality clashes (33:28).
- You can’t change others, but you can control your reactions, set boundaries, and refuse to internalize negativity (34:32-36:37).
- Claim your own value, and don’t let others’ bad moods dictate your self-worth at work (37:05-38:18).
Quote:
"I don't have to get angry about your anger. I don't have to get upset about your upset. I don't have to match this energy."
— Goli Kalkaran, (36:10)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Confidence & Experimentation:
"I would go to these meetups where it's like these 23-year-old bros... just the all the confidence in the world... Why do I think I can’t do this?" (21:51) -
On Staying in a Job for Security:
"We’ve been so ingrained that if you don’t have a paycheck every two weeks, you’re gonna become homeless living in a van down by the river." (17:16) -
On Social Media and Entrepreneurship FOMO:
"Nuance gets lost. Entrepreneurship is amazing... and it's not as easy as the Instagram gurus want you to believe." (09:13)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Intro & 2024 quitting stats: 03:03
- Generational/tech paradigm shift: 06:30
- Goli’s risk-averse background: 10:12
- The agony and fear of quitting: 13:19
- Affording to quit—financial vs. mental drama: 16:53
- Informational interviews to entrepreneurship: 20:01
- Owning the word "quit": 26:54
- Life as a series of experiments: 28:18
- Coping with toxic bosses: 33:28
- Reframing staying as a form of quitting: 38:44
Final Takeaways & Where to Find More
- Quitting is not failure—sometimes it’s the most responsible or self-loving thing you can do.
- Don’t wait for certainty; experiment, gather information, and be willing to change your mind.
- Getting intimate with your finances removes one barrier; working through your internal stories is often harder, but essential.
- Reframe staying as just another choice—one that also comes with opportunity costs.
Follow Goli Kalkaran:
- Podcast: Lessons from a Quitter
- Instagram: @lessonsfromaquitter
- Free Class: quitterclub.com/class
Host: Farnoosh Torabi
- So Money Podcast & So Money Members Club
This summary provides a comprehensive guide to the episode, capturing all major insights, memorable quotes, and practical advice for anyone contemplating quitting their job or helping others through similar transitions.