The Corporate Escapee
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.
Show episodes
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 fa
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
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 r
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—with
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-Ficti
Fractional, Defined: How to Lead (Not Freelance) with Karina Mikhli What does “fractional” really mean—and is it the right next step after corporate? In this episode, I sit down with Karina Mikhli, founder of Fractionals United, Fractional COO, and COO for the Fractional Leadership Alliance. She breaks down what fracti
