Michelle Warner took the “escapee avoidance” route — she planned to do the traditional MBA-to-consulting path… then graduated straight into the Great Recession (the day Lehman fell). That curveball pushed her into entrepreneurship early: a founder-for-hire role turning a multi-billion-dollar foundation asset into a business, followed by a mission-driven tech startup, and eventually her current work helping small business owners design the next iteration of their business.

This is a tactical episode about what actually works when you’re leaving corporate: why you should “throw spaghetti at the wall” early, how to stop doing random coffee chats, and how to use relationship marketing and audience borrowing to land clients faster — without turning into a sales robot.

What you’ll learn

• Why “sequence over strategy” matters more than the perfect plan

• The hidden risk of being too strict and narrow early on (and why it creates regret later)

• How Michelle built her business through relationship marketing, not content churn

• “Audience borrowing” as the fastest way to build trust and pipeline

• How to approach connector conversations vs. client conversations

• Why your early goal is simple: learn how to make money and stack wins

• A practical way to think about packaging: repeatable frameworks, flexible middle

Key moments / highlights

• Graduating into chaos: the day Lehman fell and what it changed

• Founder-for-hire: getting a salary while living the startup founder life

• Affordable internet in inner cities — and what customers actually did with it

• “Fractional CEO” before fractional was trendy

• The rule: don’t build with blinders on for too long

• The shift from “networking for jobs” to networking as a long-term business asset

• The line that matters: say something that people can’t “unsee” after the call

Michelle’s core concepts (worth stealing)

• Sequence over strategy: the order of moves beats the elegance of the plan

• Throw spaghetti first: test offers, clients, and problems before you commit

• Connection avatar: define who’s worth meeting so networking doesn’t waste your life

• Trust transfer: get introduced through people/places your audience already trusts

• Audience borrowing: build relationships with people who “own the room” your clients are in

Best quote energy

• “Learn all the rules so you can go break them.”

• “It’s more important the order you do things than how good you are at it.”

• “I’m totally unemployable.” (Escapee anthem)

Connect with Michelle

• Website: themichellewarner.com

• Podcast: Sequence Over Strategy (short, practical episodes; curated playlists on her site)

Connect with Brett / The Escapee ecosystem

• If corporate is broken and you’re looking at an exit strategy, this is your sign.

• Join the community: TheEscapeeCollective.com

If you’ve been thinking about leaving corporate but the risk feels too big, this episode gives you a smarter way to look at it.

Brett sits down with Alex Smereczniak, a former EY consultant who left corporate early, built a high-growth business in the laundry space, and later launched Franzy—a platform designed to make franchising easier to research and navigate.

This conversation covers the mindset shift that helps people stop overestimating the risk of leaving, plus why franchising can be an underrated “business with guardrails” path for escapees who want ownership without building from scratch.

What we cover

• Alex’s escape story: college entrepreneurship → EY → leaving after a year and change

• The moment that validated his decision: an EY partner’s biggest career regret

• Why fear is often self-created—and how to get past it

• A practical worst-case scenario exercise to reset your risk tolerance

• Why franchising is a business model, not an industry

• Franzy’s concept: “Zillow for buying and selling franchise businesses”

• How AI + coaching can narrow thousands of franchise options into a realistic short list

• Underrated franchise categories and trends (senior care, home services, turf, and more)

• The “corporate is one customer” reframe—and why ownership builds equity

Key timestamps (approx.)

• 00:00–03:30 – Alex’s corporate stint + why he left fast

• 03:30–08:30 – The EY exit interview story: “It wasn’t my ladder”

• 08:30–12:30 – Why making money outside corporate is more possible than people think

• 12:30–20:30 – The worst-case scenario exercise (the fear-killer)

• 20:30–28:30 – Alex’s journey building a scaled laundry business + why franchising clicked

• 28:30–33:30 – What franchising actually is (and what most people misunderstand)

• 33:30–40:30 – Franchise categories you probably haven’t considered

• 40:30–46:30 – Equity, control, and why “owning” beats “leasing” your career

Big takeaways

• Most people overestimate the risk of leaving corporate. The real risk is staying dependent on one employer.

• You don’t need a perfect plan. You need small wins and momentum—then you adjust.

• Franchising can be a fast path to ownership because you start with a proven playbook, support, and guardrails.

• Ownership builds equity. A job pays you, but it doesn’t typically create an asset you can sell.

Who this episode is for

• Corporate pros who want out but feel stuck because of risk, family, or finances

• Escapees who want a “business with guardrails” instead of starting from scratch

• Anyone curious about franchising beyond the usual fast-food stereotypes

Resources + links

• Franzy https://franzy.com/

• Alex on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329/

Tom Mirabella left corporate at 30 and never looked back. Seventeen years later, he’s built Wingman into a 25-person business by doing what corporate rarely rewards: solving problems fast, betting on relationships, and staying obsessively close to customers.

In this conversation, Tom breaks down his escape story, why “local + in-person” is making a comeback, and how Wingman’s franchise model flips the typical franchise script — where the franchisee focuses on relationships and sales while the central team handles fulfillment and delivery.

If you’re stuck in corporate and can’t see a path out, this episode gives you a practical look at what “building your own lane” can really look like — without pretending it’s easy.

Join the Escapee Collective: TheEscapeeCollective.com

What You’ll Learn

• Why Tom left corporate early (and what corporate policies taught him about ceilings)

• The side-hustle-to-business path: how one small project turned into real clients

• How to think about risk when leaving: your monthly “number” vs. replacing a salary

• Why entrepreneurship can swing from best day to worst day in 30 minutes — and how to handle it

• The “digital mayor” concept: becoming the trusted local hub in your town

• Why Tom believes physical locations + community presence still win in a digital world

• A modern franchise approach: franchisee sells + builds relationships, HQ team delivers

• Why customer service and trust are the real differentiators in crowded markets

Key Quotes

• “The problem’s now. Two weeks from now, it’s worse.”

• “As an entrepreneur, you can have the best and worst day within a half hour.”

• “I want you to be the digital mayor of your town.”

• “If you do what you love, the money follows.”

Mentioned in This Episode

• COBRA and how Tom thought about early-stage risk

• Networking groups, chambers, community events, and “planting seeds”

• Using a podcast as a lead generator (and why it worked)

Connect with Tom

• Email: Tom at wingmanplanning.com

• Website: WingmanPlanning.com

• Social: Instagram / Facebook / TikTok / LinkedIn (search “Wingman Planning”)

What if scaling your business didn’t require hiring, hustling harder, or stacking endless clients?

In this episode, Brett sits down with Pia Silva (No BS Mastery) to break down a simple model for building a highly profitable solo (or two-person) business — built around intensives, clear boundaries, and pricing for outcomes (not hours).

Pia shares how she and her husband went from $40K in debt to $500K in revenue by shifting from long, drawn-out projects to a focused, high-value intensive model. Then she explains her signature framework — the 50-25-25 Rule — and how to reverse-engineer your pricing based on the life you actually want.

If you’re a corporate escapee (or future one) trying to make real money without recreating the corporate grind… this is the blueprint.

What you’ll learn

• Why most “big ticket” projects are often the least profitable

• Pia’s 50-25-25 Rule for profit + freedom (and how to use it to price your offers)

• How to design offers so you make your monthly revenue in 50% of your client hours

• The two levers to grow profit without working more:

• Increase value (real + perceived)

• Decrease time (intensify delivery)

• A smarter version of “good / better / best” packaging (without selling deliverables)

• How to use a Lead Product (paid) instead of free proposals to build trust fast

• Why warm networks beat websites and content in the early stages

• How to build boundaries that prevent scope creep (without sounding rigid)

• The mindset shift escapees must make: sell outcomes, not time

Key frameworks + concepts mentioned

• The Intensives Model: Focused delivery in a compressed timeframe vs. dragging projects out for months

• 50-25-25 Rule: Make your total revenue in 50% (or less) of your client-working hours so you have time for life

• Lead Product Method: A paid diagnostic/strategy step that replaces proposals and tees up an easy upsell

• Boundaries via Process: Clear steps + expectations reduce pushback and scope creep

Resources from Pia

• Scale Solo Playbook: NoBSMastery.com/playbook

• Price to Freedom Calculator

Connect with Pia

• Instagram: @pialovesyourbiz

• LinkedIn: Pia Silva

Why do so many people leave corporate… only to end up going back?

In this solo episode, Brett breaks down the two core reasons most corporate escapees fail—and more importantly, how to avoid them.

Failure here doesn’t mean experimenting and choosing corporate again. It means wanting out, trying to go solo, and giving up before momentum ever takes hold.

If you’re thinking about leaving corporate—or you’ve already made the leap—this episode will help you understand what really trips people up and how to build a path that actually sticks.

Resources Mentioned

The Escapee Collective – A milestone-based community designed to help corporate escapees get out and stay out: Link: https://escapee-collective.circle.so/checkout/the-escapee-collective

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why not getting an early win is the fastest way to lose confidence

• How long gaps without income create doubt, panic, and backtracking

• Why most escapees don’t lack skills—they lack momentum

• The hidden cost of isolation and loneliness when you go solo

• Why “doing it alone” dramatically increases emotional swings

• How peer support and feedback shorten the learning curve

• Why community works better when people are at similar stages

• The difference between education, theory, and applied learning

• What successful long-term escapees all have in common

Key Takeaway

Going solo doesn’t fail because you’re not smart enough or experienced enough.

It fails when:

• You don’t get a win early

• You try to figure everything out alone

Momentum and connection matter more than perfection.

Resources Mentioned

The Escapee Collective – A milestone-based community designed to help corporate escapees get out and stay out: Link: https://escapee-collective.circle.so/checkout/the-escapee-collective

You can also reach out directly to Brett on LinkedIn with questions about the community or your escape path.

What if podcasting wasn’t just content—but a bridge out of corporate?

In this episode, Brett sits down with Mark Hayward, former PwC and KPMG consultant turned podcast host and podcast guesting entrepreneur, to break down his escape from corporate—and how podcasting quietly became one of his most powerful tools.

Mark shares how he started a podcast while still in corporate, not to make money, but to build confidence, find his voice, and explore what life outside the corporate box could look like. That passion project eventually opened doors to consulting, coaching, real estate experimentation—and ultimately a business built around helping others grow through podcast guesting.

This is a real, honest conversation about experimentation, false starts, energy, and why podcasting works differently than most people expect.

What We Cover

• Leaving PwC and KPMG after a 14-year corporate career

• Why Mark started a podcast before leaving corporate

• The role experimentation plays in finding your escape path

• Why not every revenue stream is worth keeping

• Coaching vs. consulting vs. creative work (and the energy test)

• Podcast hosting vs. podcast guesting — and how each actually works

• Why guests often get more business than hosts

• How podcasting builds confidence, clarity, and opportunity

• Practical advice for corporate professionals who know they want out—but don’t know what’s next

Key Takeaway

You don’t need a perfect plan to escape corporate. You need momentum, experimentation, and a way to get into conversations that open doors. Podcasting can be one of those doors.

Connect with Mark

• Website: podcastintroduction.com

• Podcast: Business Growth Talks

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-hayward-163721a0/

Listen, subscribe, and share

If corporate feels off—but you can’t see the exit yet—this episode will help you think differently about your options.

If you know corporate isn’t for you but you can’t see a clean exit, this episode is your roadmap. Brett sits down with Sam Lee (Indie Collective) to break down how experienced professionals can build a “portfolio career” — consulting, coaching, fractional work, and productized services — without quitting their full-time job first. Sam shares the simple frameworks that helped him build $1M+ in annual revenue through independent work for over a decade, and he explains why most people get stuck trading time for money. You’ll walk away with a practical way to tell your story, activate your network, and design an exit strategy with less risk.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why the “side hustle first” approach builds confidence and reduces risk

• The simple sales story that unlocks referrals: Client → Problem → Outcome

• How to activate your network without sounding awkward or salesy

• Why “fractional” isn’t always the fastest path to revenue — and what is

• The real goal: stop trading time for money and start selling outcomes

• Sam’s 3-part productization path:

1. Niche down to best-fit clients

2. Solve painkiller problems (not vitamins)

3. Build a portfolio of offers, including productized work

• The two killers of the independent path: no early wins + isolation

• Why productizing your expertise helps both client work and job searches

Key quotes / soundbites:

• “The most pernicious trade independent builders make is trading time for money.”

• “Your sales story is three things: who you serve, their problem, and the outcome.”

• “Nobody is hiring a generalist right now. They want been-there-done-that experts.”

• “Trial and error at this stage of your career is expensive.”

Resources mentioned:

• Indie Collective: IndieCollective.co

Get the New Escapee Starter Kit Here

If you know corporate is broken—but you’re not ready to quit—this episode is for you.

In this year-end solo episode, Brett walks through 7 practical steps to help you rethink your relationship with work, assess how happy you actually are, and explore whether there’s a path outside corporate—without making a risky leap.

This isn’t about quitting your job.

It’s about getting prepared, taking back control, and testing what’s possible using the experience you already have.

Whether you’re 25 or 65, this episode helps you stop being reactionary and start designing what comes next.

1. Why most people stay stuck—even when they’re miserable
2. How to reframe yourself from “employee” to “business owner”
3. The 5-factor scorecard to measure your real happiness
4. Why you’re already a solopreneur with one bad client
5. How to inventory your skills without thinking in job titles
6. A simple way to calculate your real market value
7. How to design a future that integrates work into your life—not the other way around

1. Reframe Your Reality – You don’t need new skills or a new degree
2. Establish Your Happiness Baseline – Money isn’t the whole story
3. See Yourself as a Solopreneur – You already have one client (corporate)
4. Define What You Really Want and Need – Financially, personally, realistically
5. Take Inventory of Your Skills and Energy – Focus on problems you like solving
6. Calculate Your Value – A simple formula to find your hourly baseline
7. Design Your Ideal Future – Work backward from the life you want

1. It’s easier to find your first customer than your next job
2. Small wins build confidence faster than big, risky bets
3. You don’t need permission to start testing a new path
4. Done is better than perfect
5. Control comes from action, not planning

You don’t have to leave corporate to take back control.

But if you don’t start preparing, another year will pass—and you’ll be having the same conversation...