Wait—skip spending my whole day in meetings? How could I ever leave that?
The reasons to go independent—to work for yourself, make your own calls, and create your own opportunities—are longer than your arm. Daydreaming at your desk, you can imagine a life without the back-to-back meetings, office politics, the worry about being laid off or passed over, or the slow drag of corporate life. A life full of making a difference, exploring new ideas, and pushing the envelope.
But something always stops people at moments like this. It’s called fear.
(For now, I’ll set aside the “how” of going independent. There is a path. We’ve built it. It’s ready for you. It’s called Voyageur U. But we’ll come back to that. Let’s talk about fear—and Søren Kierkegaard.)
Meet Fear: That Crusty Old Bastard
Every time someone stands at the edge of chucking the full-time job—maybe even going Fractional—Fear pulls up a chair.
How will I get health insurance? What if I don’t find clients? How will I get paid?
Even if I waved a magic wand and handed you answers to all three, Fear would still linger.
Am I good enough? What if it all falls apart? What if I’m lonely?
And even if those went away, a new set would pop up. Fears are like Russian nesting dolls—one tucked inside another and another.
As you turn the idea of leaving corporate over in your mind, here’s the real tension: your desire for freedom is in the ring with your attachment to comfort.
“I’m nobody’s lackey!” Uppercut.
“Don’t make waves!” Arm bar.
“Life is too short!” Axe kick.
“Why risk it?” Kimura.
You’re Feeling the Oldest Tension in the Book
This tug between hunger for independence and comfort in the status quo isn’t new. It’s been with us forever.
The philosopher Søren Kierkegaard called it the dizziness of freedom. It’s the anxiety you feel when you step into a wide-open field with no paths marked out—thrilling in its possibility, overwhelming in its openness.
That’s what keeps people in jobs they’ve outgrown. That’s what keeps professionals sitting through endless meetings they despise. Comfort may not be joy, but at least it’s predictable.
But What If You’re Supposed to Get Uncomfortable?
Picture yourself as a business owner, thinking about hiring someone like you. Two candidates sit across from you. On paper, they’re equally strong.
One is looking for a full-time role. They want stability, predictability, the safety of a paycheck every two weeks. Their language leans on fitting in: “I’m looking for a good culture fit.” “I just want a place where I can settle in and do good work.” Nothing wrong with that. But you can hear it—the undertone of comfort seeking.
The other is a Fractional professional. They’re not chasing comfort. They’re choosing independence. They’ve bet on themselves, built a practice, and learned how to deliver value without the safety net of corporate walls. When they talk, it isn’t about finding a place to land. It’s about solving challenges. It’s about impact and momentum.
You can feel the difference.
Be honest: who would you choose?
The Only Question That Matters
You don’t have to have every answer. You don’t need the perfect plan. You just need to decide:
Am I willing to be uncomfortable?
Because that’s the ticket. Not your résumé. Not your network. Not your “five-year plan.”
It’s your willingness to sit with the dizziness, to feel the ground shift beneath you, and still take the step.
Kierkegaard wrote that “Anxiety is the possibility of freedom.” To be human is to stand in the space of possibility—where everything is open, but nothing is certain. That’s why anxiety shows up when you’re about to make a bold move: it’s proof you’re standing face-to-face with your own potential. For Kierkegaard, that dizziness wasn’t negative. It was the very condition for growth. It’s what forces us to confront our freedom, make our own choices, and step into a larger version of ourselves.
And those who do this? They’re exactly the kind of people you’d want on your team.
I encourage you to be that person.
