#001 | Read Online By Matt Doan · June 14, 2025 · 3 min read The Forgotten Phase of Leaving Corporate Most people assume that leaving corporate is a moment. A decision. A resignation letter. A dramatic pivot. A number in their bank account. But the truth? It’s rarely a clean break. It’s a phase. A process. A slow unwinding of one identity… and a gradual construction of another. I call it the Gray Space. You’re not fully in, not fully out. You still show up to meetings. You still collect the...
12 days ago • 3 min read
Read this (+ previous posts) online Issue #190 Read time: 3 minutes We’ve been trained to believe freedom comes decades from now. But that’s only true if you keep playing by traditional rules. Here’s how to accelerate what actually matters — starting now. The Secret You want freedom. But not the kind they sell you on Instagram. You want to wake up energized — clear on what you’re building and why it matters. You want to be present with your family without guilt or distraction. You want work...
19 days ago • 3 min read
Read this (+ previous posts) online Issue #189 Read time: 3 minutes Most aren’t lazy — they’re living a life designed by default. This is a wake-up call to trade passive survival for active authorship. BTW, big announcement coming next week. Stand by! The Secret Most people don’t realize they’re living a passive life. They’re not lazy. They’re just trapped in a system that rewards unconscious participation. One that tells them: plug in, stay busy, wait for freedom. So they follow the script —...
26 days ago • 3 min read
Read this (+ previous posts) online Issue #188 Read time: 2 minutes The ground is shifting under all of us. Most cling harder. The wise seek higher ground. The Secret Flint, Michigan. 1983. The factory line was humming — but something felt off. It wasn’t just the rhythm of the machines. It was the silence of the workers. This was the new automotive manufacturing. Where for decades, skilled hands had built American muscle with pride. Now, metallic arms were rising beside them — assembling with...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Read this (+ previous posts) online Issue #187 Read time: 2 minutes So many people feel stuck right now — not because they lack options, but because they’re holding onto too much. This week's essay is about the one move that quietly changes everything: letting go. The Secret Everyone says they want change. A new chapter. More freedom. A better financial situation. Time back with family. Space to breathe, think, live. But here's what usually happens instead. They cling. To the paycheck. To the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Read this (+ previous posts) online Issue #186 Read time: 3 minutes Everyone’s hunting for the right strategy. This week’s memo unpacks why it’s who you are — not how you build — that determines your freedom. The Secret You want to create something new beyond corporate life. Maybe you’re exploring a business — coaching, consulting, advisory work. Maybe you’ve looked into buying a franchise or dabbled in real estate. Maybe you’re just itching to build something of your own. And the truth is,...
about 2 months ago • 4 min read
Read this (+ previous posts) online Issue #185 Read time: 3 minutes We were taught to find the dream job. But no job — no matter how good — can deliver what only you were meant to build. The Secret There are no “dream jobs.” There’s your dream. There’s your job. One supports the other. But many people spend their lives chasing a dream job. I get it. We’ve been trained to believe that’s the goal. Stability. Meaning. Growth. If we just find the right one — the perfect mix of purpose and...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Read this (+ previous posts) online Issue #184 Read time: 3 minutes What if your best hours were building something that was truly yours? This week’s essay is about the quiet power of choosing your own dream — and the energy (and possibility) that returns when you do. The Secret Build their dream — or build yours. There is no middle. For 15 years, I told myself I was doing the right thing. I was rising. I was delivering. I was providing. On paper, I was living the dream — at least the one I...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Read this (+ previous posts) online Issue #183 Read time: 3 minutes The ladder’s still standing—but it’s not stable. This week’s essay is your call to stop climbing and start building. PS - Don’t forget to register for our free Corporate Optional workshop happening on April 24th. This is about engineering your exit (not escaping in panic). The Secret You spent your entire career learning how to climb. You optimized. You adapted. You won. And in return, you were given: A title A steady...
2 months ago • 4 min read