Why I quit my own business
First of all, I need to prepare myself to write this because it will be the most challenging text I have ever written.
So let me explain: In 2015, I founded a company called Moochacho (a food business that sells burritos here in Brazil). At the time, I was tired of my former job as a design leader and was looking forward to having another experience in some other area. I was 25 and had a desire to launch my own company, which I did. My partners and I have sold countless burritos, and we turned our business into the main reference in our city. I made many friends and started business partnerships which became the reason of my existence for six years. Everyone knew me as the “Moochacho” guy, and everything seemed right until…
I had a body breakdown. My body didn’t seem to work in a proper way, and I was feeling tired all day long for no apparent reason. Finally, after many blood exams and a couple of doctor appointments, one doc asked me: “Are you concerned about something?” Strictly, I just answered: “Nope, everything is okay.” But it wasn’t. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew something was wrong. I tried to fool myself into thinking: stop for a couple of days, and you’ll recover. Nope. Again, the same problems. After a month, I had to ask my business partners for a break — a REAL ONE.
I tried to picture myself in multiple situations inside my head during my break time: “…and what if I reallocate myself inside the company?” Or “What if I slow down and focus on one thing?” Etc. And then, one day, I just realized: I was unhappy. And the worst thing is that I had become disillusioned with my own business and, consequently, my job.
After many internal questioning, the whole situation seemed crystal clear to me: It was the end of a cycle. Of course, it isn’t easy to accept that, even more, in a company you founded. But, I no longer saw myself inside my own company — a weird sensation.
So, I decided to quit my own business.
A new beginning and lessons learned
Well, every cloud has a silver lining, and having some time to assimilate everything, I learned some lessons that I would like to share with you:
- First, listen to your body. Health always comes first. Without it, you are NOTHING.
- Don’t just run on auto-pilot. If you have the feeling that someone is taking control of your life, take it back. Be active!
- Periodically question yourself: am I happy doing what I am doing? The secret of life is to be happy; remember that.
Oh, about me? What am I going to do?
I’ll tell you in the next post. See you!