When Barb Quit Her Day Job to Strike Out on Her Own

In a time when many folks have lost or are concerned about losing their jobs, it's often surprising to hear about someone quitting a job. It's especially puzzling when the job was enjoyable, provided a decent living and meshed with the person's training. But for many, the dream of being one's own boss can be reason enough to give up a steady paycheck.

We all know people who dabble in side business ventures after the workday is done. But the decision of when and if to leave the day job and embark on a venture full time is a difficult one to make.
This was the case for Barb Cookson, who gave up a successful career as a dental assistant to open her own massage therapy practice. Barb became interested in massage after she began receiving treatments for a sore neck as a result of her work. This led her to wanting to be a therapist herself. While still working full time, she began studying massage therapy in her spare time and eventually became licensed. She eventually established her practice and for more than a year kept her day job, running her business on the side until she decided to leave her job to run her business full time.
When asked about making that decision, Barb replied, ''It was just something I had to do. I was not really financially ready to support myself full time as a therapist, but I knew I had to put 110 percent of my efforts into my practice. I quit my job and I've never looked back.''
Barb's decision paid off. She has a growing clientele and has established a second location for her practice. When asked what advice she would offer someone making a similar decision, she said, "Do you what you love, find something you are truly passionate about and then listen to that inner voice when it tells you to just go for it!"