The Crossroads: When Career Success No Longer Felt Like Enough
Jess spent 15 years in tech and management consulting, building a stable and high-earning career.
✔ She thrived in leadership roles, managing teams and solving complex business problems.
✔ She had achieved traditional success—title, income, and professional recognition.
✔ But deep down, she felt unfulfilled.
Becoming a mother intensified this feeling. She wanted her kids to grow up being true to themselves—and it made her realize she wasn’t doing the same in her career.
✔ She loved developing talent and coaching others more than the operational demands of leadership.
✔ She longed for a career that felt deeply meaningful and aligned with her evolving identity.
✔ She feared that staying on her current path meant sacrificing the balance and presence she wanted as a parent.
So she made a plan—one that allowed her to both maintain financial stability and transition into something new.
"We’re so conditioned to measure career success by external milestones—titles, salary, prestige. But I had to redefine what success actually meant for me. And for me, it’s not about climbing higher; it’s about building something that aligns with my life."
The Transition: A Strategic Shift, Not an Abrupt Exit
Jess didn’t walk away overnight. Instead, she took a measured, intentional approach to shifting her career.
✔ She launched her coaching business as a side hustle in 2020, slowly building momentum.
✔ She negotiated a 50% role at her company, working part-time while growing her business.
✔ She made financial tradeoffs—postponing major expenses to create the space for this transition.
✔ Over four years, she gradually stepped away, publishing a book and finally resigning in 2024.
"Major career shifts rarely happen overnight. I gave myself time to build something sustainable before taking the leap."
Negotiating Flexibility: How She Made It Work
Jess structured her part-time arrangement in a way that made leadership say ‘yes’:
✔ The request: A 50% role, working full days Monday and Tuesday, plus a half-day Wednesday (for independent work, no meetings).
✔ The framing: She positioned it as a retention strategy, highlighting how she could continue adding value while making space for her transition.
✔ The tradeoffs: Leadership wasn’t open to a part-time management model, so she temporarily stepped away from direct people leadership—but ultimately returned to managing a larger team later.
✔ The outcome: She secured continued healthcare benefits (with a higher employee contribution), prorated PTO, and clear boundaries for her workdays.
"I positioned my part-time request as a strategic business case, not just a personal need. By making it clear how this could benefit both the company and me, I increased my chances of a ‘yes.’"
Bottom Line:She made it easy for leadership to say ‘yes’ by demonstrating her value, setting clear boundaries, and aligning her request with business needs.
The Challenges: Facing Fear, Financial Pressure & The Unknown
Biggest concerns:
✔ The financial impact of leaving a stable, high-earning salary.
✔ The fear of the unknown—Would her business succeed? Would she regret leaving corporate life?
✔ The mindset shift—Letting go of the traditional markers of success she had spent years chasing.
"It wasn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet. There were moments when I questioned whether I was being reckless, whether I was putting too much pressure on my family. I had to remind myself that this was an investment—not just in my career, but in my overall happiness and ability to be present at home."
Unexpected challenges:
✔ The operational side of entrepreneurship—Setting up accounting, choosing the right platforms, and managing the backend of a business was harder than expected.
✔ The emotional weight of financial adjustments—Even with planning, shifting from a corporate paycheck to variable income was mentally and emotionally taxing.
"Fear is a natural part of change. But staying in a career that no longer fits just because it feels safe? That’s a risk too. The difference is that when you take a leap, at least you’re moving toward something better."
What Worked (and What Didn’t)
✔ What made the transition easier:
- Hiring a coach—The biggest investment she made in herself, and completely worth it.
- Setting clear work-life boundaries—Structuring her days to protect both work and family time.
- Prioritizing networking—Every week, she reconnected with two people and reached out to one new person.
✔ What she’d do differently:
- Leverage her network sooner—She focused too much on LinkedIn content instead of direct connections.
- Wait to hire a VA—She outsourced admin work before fully understanding her own processes.
Jess’s Both& Moment: A New Career & A More Present Life
Jess’s story proves that career transitions don’t have to be all or nothing.
✔ She both stayed in corporate and built her own business—strategically transitioning over time.
✔ She both prioritized financial stability and made the leap when she was ready.
✔ She both walked away from a traditional leadership path and stepped into a role that fulfilled her even more.
"This wasn’t about leaving my career behind—it was about reshaping it to fit the life I actually wanted."
Jess’s Contact Information: Connect & Learn More
Jess is open to connecting with others considering a similar career shift.
✔ LinkedIn: Jessica Galica
✔ Email: jess@reclaimyourcareer.co
✔ Website: www.jessicagalica.com
