White-collar Gen Z don’t have to look far to find success stories of people quitting their nine-to-fives to do something they actually liked.
From Too Good to Go’s Mette Lykke to Sweet Loren’s Loren Castle, these millennial and Gen X entrepreneurs ditched corporate America and haven’t looked back since—and now they’re running a trio of self-built getaways, leading a $120 million cookie dough brand, and spearheading sustainable food apps.
Just like Gen Z, these entrepreneurs hated the idea of working all day to make their bosses money. Plus, the work they were doing was simply unfulfilling—and they know life is too short to stick with careers they weren’t happy in.
“Life is short. I don’t want regrets. I was so keenly aware of my feelings. If I wasn’t in love with something, it was really hard to make myself do it,” Castle told Fortune. “It got to that point of, ‘I don’t like my boss, I don’t want to be making him money.’”
In the middle of reeling in success from his three home rentals—which raked in over $700,000 in 2024, with Gingerich taking home over $350,000 in net profits—he was finally able to ditch his engineering role.
“I don’t think I ever want a 9-to-5 again. I honestly haven’t even missed it one time,” Gingerich told Fortune. “I love every bit of what we’re doing here. I love that I get to design things and work with my hands, and not be sitting at a desk all the time. Working on our property in beautiful nature, and that’s just really life-giving for me.”
Carvalho left corporate America in pursuit of making it better: by bringing calm and exercise to white-collar workers. Wellhub now serves 26,000 employers across 13 countries, providing gyms, studios, and wellness classes to more than 20 million corporate workers.
Even Gen Zers who could snag a role, 65% say they’re unsatisfied because they’re not paid enough, and 61% think their pay hasn’t kept pace with the cost of living. And it’s weighing heavily on their psyche—nearly half say their jobs have had a negative impact on their mental health. Plus, by working for “the man,” they have less control over their schedules. About 41% say they’re unhappy with their gigs because it leaves them with no time to do anything else.
