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The Corporate Escapee Podcast is a resource for GenX professionals ready to break free from the constraints of corporate life and design a more intentional, fulfilling lifestyle. Hosted by Brett Trainor- who’s been on the escapee journey for nearly five years—and who’s been helping others make the leap for just over a year—this podcast goes beyond just replacing replacement to focus on a life built around four core pillars: Happiness, Wellness, Freedom, and Financial Stability. Every episode ...
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Welcome back to The Corporate Escapee Podcast! In today’s episode, I’m thrilled to chat with Heather McLean, a recent escapee who left behind a high-powered corporate role leading a 400-person software development team to co-found her own tech-focused business alongside her husband. Heather shares her journey from back-to-back corporate meetings an…
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In this episode of The Corporate Escapee Podcast, Brett Trainor speaks with Nic Jones, a former corporate executive turned bus driver who shares his journey of redefining success and happiness. Nic reflects on his 40-year career in media and music, during which he held leadership roles at major companies like Yahoo, Murdoch’s digital businesses, an…
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Welcome to The Corporate Escapee Podcast, where we explore the journeys of GenXers breaking free from corporate life to build something on their own terms. I’m your host, Brett Trainor, and today we dive into a conversation that’s critical for every corporate escapee: mastering LinkedIn. Joining me is LinkedIn strategist and fellow escapee, Deanna …
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AI and the Corporate Escapee: Turning Tools into Competitive Advantage with Michael Himmelfarb
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Can experience and wisdom give us a unique edge in the age of AI? In this episode of The Corporate Escapee Podcast, I’m joined by Michael Himmelfarb, a seasoned consultant and one of the original escapees. Together, we explore how AI is reshaping solo businesses, why experience trumps prompts, and how escapees can use AI not just as a tool but as a…
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In this episode of the Corporate Escapee Podcast, Joe Manganelli shares his journey from a corporate finance role to becoming an entrepreneur and the founder of Calculate, a financial services company. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of building a business, the importance of embracing discomfort, and the lessons learned along the way. Joe …
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The Smart Way to Structure Your Escapee Business: LLCs, S-Corps, & Big Tax Savings with Gabrielle Tenaglia
47:15
In this episode of the Corporate Escapee Podcast, Gabrielle shares her journey from a full-time marketing career to going solo, discussing the importance of understanding taxes and business structures like LLCs and S-Corps. She emphasizes the advantages of S-Corps in reducing self-employment taxes and the necessity of managing payroll effectively. …
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An Escapee’s Journey: From Corporate Exec to Solo Consultant, Firm Owner—and Surprisingly, Software Developer!
41:37
Ray McKenzie, founder and managing director of Red Beach Advisors, shares his journey from corporate to entrepreneurship. He started his consulting firm in 2015, focusing on go-to-market strategy and operational efficiency for Fortune 1000 companies in cybersecurity and cloud computing. Later, he founded Starting Point, a workflow management and au…
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In this episode of the Corporate Escapee Podcast, Nina Sossamon-Pogue shares her multifaceted journey from being a U.S. gymnast to a successful journalist, and then transitioning into the tech industry. She discusses the challenges she faced, including injuries and career setbacks, and emphasizes the importance of resilience, storytelling, and mind…
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Hear from a recent corporate escapee and her journey so far. Adrienne Farrell is a corporate wellness consultant and the founder of the InnovateHerLab, a community for women exploring their career paths. She focuses on women's health and well-being in the workplace, recognizing the need to elevate this issue. Adrienne's journey to becoming an escap…
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"I’d Rather Be Homeless": Laine Belcastro on the Ups and Downs of Escaping and Why She’ll Never Go Back
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In this episode, Laine Belcastro shares her journey from corporate marketing to becoming a solopreneur and email marketing consultant. Laine discusses the importance of networking, finding your niche, and the challenges of pricing strategies. Laine emphasizes the significance of email marketing for business growth and introduces her new venture, Ac…
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Jaidin McCann, owner of Jasper Consultancy, shares her journey of starting her own executive search firm and offering fractional work. She emphasizes the importance of personal branding and networking in the fractional space. McCann advises individuals to specialize in a specific area and build a strong referral network. She also highlights the nee…
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This is an audio recording of a recent Happy Hour and Learn Session for members of the Escapee Collective community. Jake Stahl shares his advice, perspective and best practices for thriving as a fractional leader. Jake Stall discusses the concept of fractional work and shares his experience in the field. He emphasizes the importance of building re…
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From Solo to Synergy: Debbie Schwake & Ashley Evenson on Building Flexible, Collaborative Escapee Partnerships
43:23
Debbie Schwake and Ashley Evenson discuss their escapee journeys and how they formed a collaborative partnership. They emphasize the importance of collaboration and transparency in their working relationship. They have their own independent businesses but also work together on projects, leveraging each other's strengths. They highlight the flexibil…
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Risk-Averse to Revenue Diverse: Kate Kompelien's Escapee Journey in Customer Experience Consulting
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Kate Kompelien, founder of The Insight, shares her journey as a customer experience consultant and qualitative researcher. She helps companies understand key moments that matter to their customers and identifies pain points that hinder a better customer experience. Kate started her own business after realizing she wanted to focus on smaller project…
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This bonus episode is a recording of a panel discussion we had during one of the Escapee Collective educational sessions. I had 4 escapees share their strategies and tips for effective networking The conversation focuses on the importance of networking and provides tips and strategies for effective networking. The speakers discuss the value of buil…
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2 Escapees for the Price of 1: Rob Johnson & Eileen Rochford Share Their Escapee Stories + How They Collaborate
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Eileen Rochford and Rob Johnson share their stories of escaping the corporate world and starting their own businesses. Eileen, the CEO of the Harbinger Group, left her job at a PR agency to start her own agency, driven by a desire for a different way of working and a lack of fulfillment in the corporate structure. Rob, a former television professio…
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In this episode of the Corporate Escapee Podcast, Brett Trainor interviews Marcus Sheridan, author of 'They Ask, You Answer.' They discuss the concept of 'They Ask, You Answer' and how it involves meeting the needs and answering the questions of customers. Marcus emphasizes the importance of understanding the buyer's journey and being obsessed with…
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In this episode of the Corporate Escapee Podcast, host Brett Trainor interviews Paul Durelli, founder of Digital Kahuna, about his journey from the corporate world to entrepreneurship. They discuss the challenges of toxic work environments and the importance of personal development for solo business owners. They also explore the use of automation a…
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In this conversation, Brett Trainor and Don discuss the topic of guest podcasting as a way to create awareness and grow your solo business. They share their strategies for getting on podcasts, including watching what people are podcasting about, commenting on LinkedIn posts, and finding topics that align with the show's theme. They emphasize the im…
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John Browning shares his journey from working at large financial firms to starting his own independent financial planning business. He emphasizes the importance of building relationships and providing value to clients. Browning also discusses the challenges of acquiring a small firm and the lessons he learned from that experience. He highlights the…
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In this episode of The Corporate Escapee podcast, we welcome Shannon, a seasoned project management and HR consultant who partners with CEOs in growing organizations. Shannon focuses on building infrastructure that drives business results through human performance. She shares her escapee journey from corporate to solo business owner, having been so…
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In this conversation, Brett Trainor interviews John Tyreman about his escapee journey and the benefits of podcasting for expertise-driven businesses. John shares his experience of transitioning from working in agencies to becoming a fractional marketing director and launching his own consulting business. He also discusses how he got into podcasting…
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In this episode of "The Corporate Escapee," I'm excited to share my conversation from Beau Billington's "Finding That Next Gear" podcast. Special thanks to Beau for allowing me to feature this insightful discussion. In the latest episode of "Finding That Next Gear," I had the pleasure of speaking with Brett Trainor, an inspiring entrepreneur on a m…
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In this conversation, Brett Trainor interviews Paul Kuthe about the power of storytelling in business and entrepreneurship. Paul shares his journey of breaking free from the corporate world and using the power of story to help others do the same. He explains the seven parts of a successful story, including the hero, the problem, the guide, the plan…
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Beau Billington, founder of The Free Agent, discusses the concept of fractional and interim roles in the corporate world. He explains that fractional roles offer extreme flexibility and are a fraction of a work week, allowing professionals to work with multiple clients at the same time. He also highlights the importance of finding the right fit bet…
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