My name is Yale Wang and I live in Washington, D.C. I immigrated to America when I was 6 and grew up in Rhode Island.

I quit my job in 2007, at the height of the financial crisis. At the time, I was two years out of college and making a lucrative investment banking salary. During my employment, I was fortunate enough to get an inordinate amount of experience in finance. But the ninety hour work weeks and the passive aggressive culture of investment banking quickly transformed my growing dissatisfaction into a resolution. I realized I needed to find another career. I wasn’t ashamed that my colleagues viewed my decision with skepticism, given the state of the finance industry and the economy.

After several fits and starts, I now own two profitable e-commerce companies which have allowed me to escape the 9-5. While I continue to grow my businesses, I enjoy spending my new found freedom by studying economics, psychology, business and writing.

I find that most of the people who have been laid off, especially those in the finance industry, find themselves in an ironic position. Only two years ago, they were complaining about their workload and their lack of free time. They dreamed of white sandy beaches and romanticized month long trips to exotic locales in Asia. But now that they have time, what do they do everyday?

By all accounts, people are anxious to find a job and end up spending all day spamming recruiters and career posting websites, only to realize that they are wasting them time because there are millions of others doing the same. Undaunted, some workers tap their social networks while others swallow their pride and accept a decrease in pay to make ends meet. But in my opinion, what’s the point of employment and work if it’s work that you dread? If you don’t need immediate income, why get a job if after a month you’ll just wind up dissatisfied? Maybe there’s another way.

I created this blog for people like myself, who find the corporate path unfulfilling and who would rather create their own jobs. I’m not saying everybody should start their own business. Being an entrepreneur is exceedingly difficult and requires more than a bit of luck. But for those that are willing to try, this blog is a place to learn from my mistakes and to share your stories and challenges. If you want to contact me, shoot me an email at yalewang83@yahoo.com

All the Best,

Yale Wang