The Corporate Escapee

Brett Trainor
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ABOUT THIS PODCAST 🔗 Hey, I’m Brett Trainor – corporate escapee, business builder, and your GenX guide to life after corporate. After 25+ years in corporate, I realized the system wasn’t built for freedom or happiness. Now I’ve dedicated my life to helping other GenXers escape—and find both. I’m also a student of the game. I research ideas, trends, and opportunities so you don’t have to—then bring you the best strategies, shortcuts, and stories to accelerate your escape. This show covers: • Real stories from GenXers who escaped corporate (and how they did it). • Practical ways to make money using your corporate skills. • Solo business building—from lifestyle businesses to scalable companies • Fresh business ideas and revenue models worth testing. • Simple playbooks to land your first customer fast. • Mindset and freedom lessons from experts, authors, and other escapees. Sometimes I’ll chat with another escapee or subject matter expert, sometimes I’ll share lessons from my own journey. I’ve made the mistakes (so you don’t have to) and built playbooks to make your escape faster, smarter, and less risky. If you’re a GenX professional tired of office politics, layoffs, or waiting for corporate to quit you—this show is for you. Let’s help you escape corporate and Get Busy Living.

  1. -3 ДН.

    The Ignorance Tax: How to Build a Lean, Automated Solo Business with Paul Durelli

    Paul Durelli returns to The Corporate Escapee Podcast one year after his first appearance to share what’s changed, what’s working, and where he sees the biggest opportunities for corporate and medical professionals looking to escape traditional systems. In this conversation, Brett and Paul explore how AI, automation, and virtual assistants can help GenX escapees scale their businesses without hiring full-time employees. Paul also explains how he’s helping medical professionals escape the bureaucracy of healthcare and build profitable, flexible practices in functional medicine. They cover why every solo business owner eventually pays an “Ignorance Tax,” how to turn that into an automation advantage, and why building your digital backbone early—CRM, SMS, AI follow-ups—can save years of frustration. Paul also shares a powerful “found money” idea: adding an ADA accessibility widget to your site that qualifies you for a $5,000 federal tax credit every year. What You’ll Learn: • The Ignorance Tax: when to stop DIY-ing and pay for speed and expertise • The tech stack every solo business needs to scale (CRM, SMS, email, AI) • How to delegate effectively and build your first small remote team • Lessons from doctors escaping into functional medicine and how that model applies to corporate escapees • How to find “found money” opportunities like the ADA tax credit that deliver instant ROI Key Moments: 00:00 – Welcome back and recap of Paul’s first appearance 02:00 – Why medical professionals are escaping corporate medicine 09:00 – The Ignorance Tax and when to hire help 10:30 – The best automation and CRM tools for solos 20:00 – ADA tax credit: how it works and why it matters 28:00 – How small, AI-enabled teams are outpacing big companies 35:00 – The mindset shift from worker bee to queen bee 39:00 – Continued learning, avoiding the comfort trap, and staying curious 41:00 – Where to connect with Paul and learn more Resources Mentioned: • Paul Durelli – Digital Kahuna: www.digitalkahuna.com • CRM Tool – Go High Level • Book – “Pro Voice” by JT O’Donnell Connect with Paul: Visit www.digitalkahuna.com for courses, automation services, and details on the ADA $5,000 tax credit offer.

    41 мин.

  2. -6 ДН.

    From Corporate to Calling: A Practical Path to Purpose w/ Lisa Petrilli

    If your “great job” feels increasingly empty, this one’s for you. Former corporate leader Lisa Petrilli (Medline/Baxter) shares a practical approach to discovering your Life Quest—the next chapter where purpose, agency, and freedom replace autopilot. We dig into choice vs. circumstance, how to reframe fear and uncertainty, and simple steps GenXers can take while still in corporate. No dogma required—just a better operating system for work and life. You’ll learn • What a “Life Quest” is and how to spot yours • How to move from reaction and fear to sovereignty and action • A 30–60 day Next-Chapter Script exercise to regain control • Why love-over-fear is a leadership OS (not a sermon) • First small steps for still-in-corporate escapees Timestamps 00:00 – Why this convo is different 01:20 – Lisa’s corporate path → calling 05:40 – Awakening without the woo 10:40 – Choice vs. reaction in corporate (and life) 12:40 – Reframing uncertainty & fear 16:10 – What corporate gives you—and when it plateaus 20:25 – Purpose, practically: defining mission without dogma 26:50 – Starter steps if you’re stuck (clarity, script, small bets) 30:10 – Why Lisa’s book is free + how to use it 35:10 – Frameworks beat retreats (avoid meandering) 36:45 – Wrap + where to connect Links & resources • Free book: Life Quest: Your Role in Saving the World: https://lisapetrilli.com/ • Connect with Lisa: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapetrilli/ About Lisa Lisa Petrilli is the founder/CEO of Higher Conscious Leadership and a former corporate exec (Medline, Baxter). She helps leaders move from mind/body mastery to soul-level purpose and practical action. CTA (one small step) Download the free book, then spend 10 minutes today writing your 30-day script. Prompt: “If nothing at work changed, how would I live the next 30 days differently?”

    36 мин.

  3. 8 ОКТ.

    Local First, Personal Always: Selling Solo to Small Business Owners (with Robert Lock)

    Robert Lock went from corporate sales leadership to running supply chain during COVID—then used that “between lanes” moment to launch his own firm, Buffalo Mountain Sales Strategies. In this episode, he and Brett dig into how GenX escapees can win clients by going local-first and relationship-heavy, not enterprise-style transactional. You’ll Learn 💡 How to build a referral engine from scratch: → Daily LinkedIn connects with a simple, honest message → Wait 24 hours → Invite to a virtual coffee → Leave every chat with 2–3 new intros 💡 Why owner conversations are precious—and how to uncover real problems instead of pitching surface ones. 💡 How to package your offer with paid discovery + 90-day sprints instead of scary year-long scopes. 💡 Why going local first builds faster trust (and how that expands nationally). 💡 How adding exit-planning expertise creates credibility and future opportunities. Guest Robert Lock — Founder, Buffalo Mountain Sales Strategies | Advisor with Sales Acceleration | Based in Denver, CO Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lockrobert/ Keywords GenX • Corporate Escape • Solo Consulting • Fractional Leadership • SMB Sales • Discovery Calls • Networking • Sales Acceleration • Denver

    45 мин.

  4. 27 СЕНТ.

    Fans First: Jesse Cole’s Playbook Behind the Savannah Bananas Phenomenon

    When I first interviewed Jesse Cole—the man in the yellow tux and founder of the Savannah Bananas—the team had just started selling out games in Savannah. Fast forward to today, and the Bananas are a global sports and entertainment phenomenon: • A ticket waitlist of more than 3 million people • Stadiums of 70–80,000 fans packed to see Banana Ball • 17 Major League Baseball parks sold out on their 2025 World Tour This conversation captures Jesse’s philosophy before the explosion—and it’s more relevant than ever for GenX escapees and founders building solo businesses. His blueprint proves you don’t need to be the biggest, you need to be the only. In this episode: • Jesse’s “ONLY” framework for standing out (Own the problem, Noise, Love, Why) • Why customers are transactional but fans never leave • How small first/last impression touches create “happy tears” • The 5 E’s of experience: Eliminate, Entertain, Experiment, Engage, Empower • Why constraints drive creativity (and why experiments beat iterations) • The Visionary + Integrator combo every founder needs For Escapees: A great example of what following your dreams can lead to. Also, great insights for building a solo business. If you’re landing your first client or building a lifestyle business, Jesse’s insights map perfectly: different is better than better. Create fans, not customers—and let them do your marketing for you. Resources • Jesse Cole LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yellowtuxjesse/ • Books: Fans First & Find Your Yellow Tux

    36 мин.

  5. 24 СЕНТ.

    The Chief Energy Officer: What GenXers Can Learn from GenZ Purpose w/Conrad Hawley

    What GenXers stuck in corporate can learn from a 22-year-old former D1 athlete who walked away from the easy path, found his purpose, and chose to serve others—even when it was uncomfortable. I like to connect the dots and showcase what's possible if we break out of our comfort zones 🔑 In This Episode: Why Conrad left a full football scholarship (and $250K in value) at Kansas to find his true pathHow he walked on to Iowa State’s Top 25 basketball program after not playing for 3 yearsHis role as the team’s “Chief Energy Officer” and how he brought discipline and heart into everything he didHow struggle, loneliness, and discomfort became the fuel for transformationThe importance of self-awareness, emotional honesty, and earning your identityWhy he’s building a speaking career focused on pouring into others—and how that fills him with purposeHow he structures his solo life post-athletics and why discipline still anchors him ✨ Why This Episode Matters for GenXers: If you’ve been telling yourself it’s too late to start over… listen to this episode.If you’ve been waiting for the “right time” to make a move… listen to this episode.If you’ve been going through the motions… this is your wake-up call. 🫵 Conrad may be GenZ—but his mindset, energy, and willingness to act despite fear is a blueprint for anyone ready to take back control. Brett’s Take: “This episode hit me. Conrad’s honesty, discipline, and self-awareness are things most of us spend decades trying to develop. But more than that, he took action. He walked away from safety and toward purpose. GenXers—we can learn a lot from that.” 🔗 Connect with Conrad: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conradhawley • Just Google him—he’s easy to find and open to speaking engagements and collaborations.

    33 мин.

  6. 23 СЕНТ.

    Your AI Advantage: Why GenX Escapees Are Built to Cash In (with Naveen Aggarwal)

    Brett and Naveen break down how GenX escapees can use AI to work faster, earn more, and de-risk the leap from corporate. You’ll learn where AI actually helps (and where it doesn’t), how to turn your experience into simple, repeatable, AI-enabled services, and why singles (small wins) beat swinging for enterprise home runs when you’re solo. Think: micro-SaaS, productized services, and month-to-month offers that business owners can say “yes” to quickly. Key Takeaways GenX Advantage: We’ve lived analog → digital → internet → mobile. We know how to train people—now we train AI. We also know when outputs are “off.”AI as Fractional Workforce: Treat AI like your on-demand researcher, analyst, designer, scheduler, and SDR. One subscription, many “roles.”Start with Singles: Stop chasing six-figure whales out of the gate. Package $1–5K/month services that solve one need deeply, repeat it across clients.Outcome > Hours: Price the result (clean CRM, personalized outreach engine, faster proposals), not your time. AI compresses hours into minutes—that’s the point.Productize the Process: Turn your workflow into a mini system: inputs → AI-assisted steps → valuable output. Reuse 80%, customize 20%.Risk Wins Deals: Month-to-month + clear ROI beats open-ended fractional promises for most SMBs. Practical Use Cases We Cover • Lead gen & personalized outreach at scale • CRM cleanup & contact enrichment • Proposal/slide creation (e.g., Gamma) • Research & meeting prep “briefings” • Contract review & red-flag summaries • Agents & light automations (only after nailing the manual workflow) Simple Monetization Paths (Examples) $2–5K/mo: “Done-for-you” outbound engine (200 targeted emails, replies routed, CRM updated).$1–3K flat: CRM cleanup + enrichment + basic dashboard.$1–2K/mo: Founder research briefs + talk tracks before key meetings.$3–8K setup + $1–3K/mo: Build a lightweight, repeatable micro-SaaS/workflow (pricing, content kits, hiring screens) for a niche. Timestamps • 00:00 Intro & why AI is a GenX superpower • 03:30 From big-corp AI to solo/SMB impact • 06:10 Training people vs. training AI (and knowing “good”) • 11:20 AI as your fractional team: practical tools & roles • 16:45 Thought partner use case (Brett’s real examples) • 23:30 Singles over home runs: structure simple wins • 29:45 Value pricing when AI compresses your time • 34:20 Risk, ROI, and easy “yes” offers for SMBs • 38:45 Partnering to productize (stack skills → stack revenue) • 42:50 Action plan & where to find Naveen Memorable Lines • “AI is the great equalizer—your fractional workforce in one subscription.” • “Don’t sell AI—sell a solved problem that AI helps deliver.” • “GenX knows what ‘good’ looks like. That’s the edge 20-somethings can’t fake.” Resources Mentioned • Explained Consulting: explained.consulting • Gamma for slide/proposal generation

    44 мин.

  7. 17 СЕНТ.

    Your First Revenue Stream Outside Corporate (with Lee Ann Pepper)

    We’re launching a new recurring segment with Lee Ann Pepper focused on real-world revenue ideas for corporate escapees. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How would I actually make money if I left corporate?” this episode is for you. Lee Ann and I break down practical, low-risk ways GenXers can start monetizing today—without swinging for six-figure fences or waiting years to replace a corporate paycheck. In this episode, you’ll learn: How User-Generated Content (UGC) works and why it’s perfect for GenXers who don’t want to be influencers.The new inventory-free e-commerce model that lets you launch products without warehouses or Amazon risk.Why the Connector Model (introductions + network leverage) is a hidden path to retainer + commission income.How to get paid for hiring advisory—helping SMBs make better hires using your experience.Why small, repeatable service retainers often add up faster than chasing one big consulting deal.The mindset shift from swinging for home runs to stacking singles for steady cash flow. Enjoy and let us know what you think!

    32 мин.

  8. 12 СЕНТ.

    Networking Made Simple: David Ackert’s Proven Short List Framework for Escapees

    For most corporate escapees, networking and sales feel like the biggest hurdles to building a solo business. With hundreds of LinkedIn connections and decades of contacts, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed—or worse, to avoid networking altogether. Enter David Ackert—author of The Short List and winner of the 2025 Non-Fiction Book Award. David has spent 20+ years helping professionals grow their books of business and has distilled his research into a simple, proven framework that removes the guesswork from networking. In this episode, David shares how to replace random outreach with a focused, confidence-building system that actually drives results. What You’ll Learn: Why a bloated network isn’t useful—and how to focus on the 9–35 relationships that matter mostThe three categories every escapee needs: prospects, clients, and connectorsHow to re-engage dormant ties for new opportunitiesThe “14 interactions” rule and why most people quit too soonWhy doing structured free work can accelerate your first paying clientsHow GenXers’ natural problem-solving and “be helpful” mindset is a superpower in building trustWhy confidence isn’t faked—it grows naturally from following a consistent system About David Ackert David is the President of Ackert Inc., creator of the PipelinePlus Tracker app, and author of The Short List. He has dedicated his career to helping professionals simplify business development through intentional, value-driven relationships. 👉 Connect with David: • Website: pipelineplus.com • LinkedIn: David Ackert 👉 Resources: • Get your copy of The Short List wherever books are sold

    46 мин.
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ABOUT THIS PODCAST 🔗 Hey, I’m Brett Trainor – corporate escapee, business builder, and your GenX guide to life after corporate. After 25+ years in corporate, I realized the system wasn’t built for freedom or happiness. Now I’ve dedicated my life to helping other GenXers escape—and find both. I’m also a student of the game. I research ideas, trends, and opportunities so you don’t have to—then bring you the best strategies, shortcuts, and stories to accelerate your escape. This show covers: • Real stories from GenXers who escaped corporate (and how they did it). • Practical ways to make money using your corporate skills. • Solo business building—from lifestyle businesses to scalable companies • Fresh business ideas and revenue models worth testing. • Simple playbooks to land your first customer fast. • Mindset and freedom lessons from experts, authors, and other escapees. Sometimes I’ll chat with another escapee or subject matter expert, sometimes I’ll share lessons from my own journey. I’ve made the mistakes (so you don’t have to) and built playbooks to make your escape faster, smarter, and less risky. If you’re a GenX professional tired of office politics, layoffs, or waiting for corporate to quit you—this show is for you. Let’s help you escape corporate and Get Busy Living.

Информация

  • Автор
    Brett Trainor
  • Годы выхода
    2019 - 2025
  • Выпуски
    301
  • Ограничения
    Без ненормативной лексики
  • Авторские права
    © 2019 B.T. LLC
  • Сайт подкаста
    The Corporate Escapee

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