"My main goal is to help people realize that it’s possible to be independent, even with all the challenges that come along. I’ve seen and spoken with many people in the corporate world who carry a lot of concerns. They worry, 'Without a regular paycheck, what will I do?' or 'I’m nearing my forties, starting from scratch, so how will it work?' These worries often leave them looking back at sixty, wondering, 'What have I done with my life?' I hope my book encourages more people to pursue their independence, curiosity, and ambition, especially those at a mid-career stage. I want them to know it’s absolutely possible. It’s not about thinking, 'If I were 25, I’d do it, but now at 45, I won’t.' Actually, it’s still very possible." - Adrian Tan, Author of “No More Bosses” & Chief Marketing Strategist at Marketing Sumo" - Adrian Tan
"Layoff was rare and it’s something people often associated with shame. There was a strong sense of embarrassment around it, making it difficult to share with others. I observed this firsthand around 2007, 2008, during the global financial crisis. I was still in recruitment, and we started receiving so many resumes from people in banks across the island. When you’d ask why they left or were laid off, you could hear it in their tone—the stuttering, the mumbling. It was hard for them to explain what happened or to process why the bank they’d been loyal to for 35 years decided to lay them off. Suddenly, they had to start all over again. It was an incredibly painful experience for people to go through." - Adrian Tan, Author of “No More Bosses” & Chief Marketing Strategist at Marketing Sumo" - Adrian Tan
"It reminded me of a friend I mentioned in Chapter 2. He was a regional director for an assessment company, but he chose to leave it all behind to start an HR tech business, even with three kids at the time. He shared his reasoning with me. He had a financial runway to prepare for tough situations, but what really influenced him was something called the 'regret minimization framework,' a concept from Jeff Bezos. I hadn’t heard of it until then. Bezos used it when deciding whether to start Amazon. My friend applied the same idea, telling himself, 'I don’t want to be in my sixties or seventies looking back and thinking, I should have started that company.' It's a perspective worth considering because, ultimately, we only live once." - Adrian Tan, Author of “No More Bosses” & Chief Marketing Strategist at Marketing Sumo" - Adrian Tan
In this episode, Jeremy Au speaks on the laid-off to HR founder journey, writing 'No More Bosses', and solopreneur work-life challenges.
Keywords: Adrian Tan, Laid-Off To HR Founder, Writing No More Bosses, Solopreneur Work-Life Challenges, Singapore, Southeast Asia, Creators, Founder Story
