7 Lessons I Learned Going From Laid-Off Tech VP to Entrepreneur

What would you do if your paycheck disappeared tomorrow?

More than 20 years ago, mine did. I was laid off from a Silicon Valley startup with a young family, a dry job market, and eventually our savings and 401(k) started disappearing.

Entrepreneurship wasn’t the dream. It became the path forward.

Seven businesses later, including an 8-figure consulting firm, I’ve learned some lessons I wish I understood back then, from building financial runway and learning to sell to developing the confidence to create opportunities from nothing.

I’ll break down 7 lessons from 20+ years as an entrepreneur, share some of the mistakes behind them, and discuss how you can apply them if you’re starting or growing a business.