Transitioning From Academia To The World Of Entrepreneurship.
How does one transition from the structured world of academia to a “create your own adventure” world of entrepreneurship?
In my years of working with academics, teachers, and people in traditional education careers to start an independent business, they tell me a very similiar story.
“I love teaching and impacting people through education. But I can’t stand the bureaucracy and red tape I have to go through to get something done right.”
Individuals with a passion for education became teachers because they dream of making a difference in the lives of students and influencing the next generation to create an impact in the world.
However, it can be difficult to pitch innovative and creative ideas to departments that can at times, favour doing things in a way that’s “always been done before”.
So, when academics decide they want to leave academia to have a more freeing way to teach, spread ideas, and have more autonomy over how they work, they relish in the idea of this freedom.
In this transition point of moving into independent work, there’s also a stage of un-learning what academia has taught about the pathway to success and adapt to a new mindset of a non-perfectionist way of putting work out in the world (where you don’t take years to write a paper and live in fear of rejection from your peers).
That’s why today, I’m excited to share a Corporate Escape Story interview with my 90 Day Launch student, Remington Cooney, a university instructor who crafted a new pathway for his work as an entrepreneur.
Coming from a linear background where he was taught one trajectory of becoming successful, Rem has an inspiring story of embracing a growth mindset to step out of the world of academia to pursue a more freeing way to share his passion for integrating mindfulness into higher education and into the everyday aspects of our modern life.
In Our Conversation, You’ll Learn:
- The most challenging thing about shifting from academia to creating work as an entrepreneur.
- How Rem shifted from a structured academic way of thinking to a growth mindset to be able to start his business (after years of contemplation).
- What he did to overcome his doubts about “marketing” his business, and the simpler way he’s chosen to serve his clients and spread his vision.
- Why he believes the practice of mindfulness is even more essential these days to navigate uncertainty, change, and anxiety.
