I'm often asked why I left PwC. Was it because I disliked the work? Were there issues with colleagues? Was I simply too busy?
None of these were the primary reasons.
I was fortunate in the people I worked with. Many of my peers are people I hope to maintain long-term relationships with. The critical thinking skills and professional standards I acquired at PwC are still invaluable in my current business endeavors.
Nevertheless, I chose to leave PwC.
The true reason was that I felt I had reached the limits of the salary and personal growth I could achieve as a corporate employee.
The Path Upward Didn't Lead to the Future I Desired
In a consulting firm, as you accumulate experience and positive evaluations, you progress through promotions: Senior Associate, Manager, Senior Manager.
As your position advances, so does your salary. However, your responsibilities and working hours also increase.
From what I observed, those in higher positions were constantly swamped with meetings. Their calendars were packed from morning to night on weekdays, making it difficult even to find a 30-minute slot. They were also working evenings and weekends.
Moreover, as positions became more senior, the salary didn't necessarily increase proportionally to the hours worked. If you considered it on an hourly basis, promotions sometimes seemed less rewarding.
Of course, some people find fulfillment in high-responsibility work and aspire to climb the ranks as consultants. I have no intention of criticizing that choice.
However, observing them, I didn't feel the desire to follow the same path. Working hard didn't necessarily lead to more free time or greater autonomy. The higher the position, the heavier the responsibility for the organization, clients, and sales.
The future that lay beyond promotion was not the success I envisioned for myself.
Even Executives Didn't Seem to Enjoy Their Work
As a consultant, I worked closely with executives at about three listed companies.
From an employee's perspective, becoming an executive is one of the pinnacles of a career. They lead large organizations and attain significant compensation and social standing.
Yet, the executives I interacted with didn't seem to genuinely enjoy their daily lives.
Of course, one cannot judge a person's entire life or happiness solely based on their demeanor at work.
However, I felt that even after dedicating a long time to climbing the corporate ladder and reaching a position of responsibility, the freedom I desired would still be out of reach.
As a young employee, I imagined that promotions would bring more decision-making power and freedom. In reality, while authority increases, so do the burdens.
Even striving for higher positions, promotions aren't solely determined by merit.
Whether a senior position is open. Which areas the organization chooses to invest in. Who your superior is. Relationships and timing all play a role.
While effort can increase the probability, ultimately, it's not something you can decide entirely on your own.
I didn't want to entrust the ceiling of my life to organizational circumstances or the limited number of available positions.
As a Young Professional, I Couldn't Create My Own Work
My dissatisfaction as an employee wasn't merely about being busy. It was about not being able to create the work I wanted to pursue.
Junior consultants primarily fulfill roles within assigned projects. While they might be able to express preferences from several options, they don't get to pitch to companies they like, negotiate terms themselves, or secure new business.
Determining project direction, finalizing agreements with clients, and bearing sales responsibility all fall to senior positions.
As you advance to Senior Associate and Manager, your decision-making power over immediate tasks increases. Yet, you still can't decide which market to target, who to sell to, or what products/services to offer.
The experience of actively engaging in sales, building client relationships, and securing business under your own name only comes at even higher positions. I didn't want to wait years for that opportunity.
At the time, I didn't explicitly articulate a desire to learn sales skills. Looking back now, I realize I wanted to gain the experience of creating my own work sooner.
Pitching to companies I admire. Securing my own projects, assembling a team, setting direction, and taking full responsibility until completion. My current way of working is fundamentally different from my corporate days.
I Wanted to Be Judged by Business Results, Not by a Company Brand
Being affiliated with PwC granted a certain level of credibility simply by virtue of the company's name.
Sending an email or exchanging business cards meant people would listen to me as a PwC consultant. Beyond my individual abilities, I could leverage the trust the company had built over many years.
This is a significant advantage of working for a large corporation.
At the same time, I wondered what would remain if that credibility were gone.
If I left the company, I couldn't rely on the organization's brand. I would need to find clients myself, convince them of the value of my proposals, and complete the work under my own responsibility.
I became eager to see how well I could perform in such an environment. I wanted to experience a world where I was judged not just by my academic background or company name, but solely by the value I delivered to clients and the results of my business.
Even with a degree from the University of Tokyo or a background at PwC, a service that doesn't sell won't sell. I wanted to experience that rigor for myself.
I Would Have Left Even with a ¥50 Million Annual Salary
When I write that I felt I'd reached a limit with my salary, some might assume I would have stayed if offered a higher one.
Even if I had been offered an annual salary of ¥50 million, I believe I still would have left.
Of course, I want money.
I want to achieve prosperity through my own abilities. I also have the ambition to aim even higher than ¥50 million annually.
However, receiving a high salary within a company's predetermined positions and compensation structure was not my ultimate goal.
I wanted to compete in my chosen field without any restrictions, to build a company based on my own judgment, and to see how far I could grow it.
As an employee, the company sets the ceiling for your compensation. As an entrepreneur, while there's a possibility of zero income, there's also no upper limit.
I chose an environment where my abilities and business results were directly linked, rather than stable high income. It wasn't the ¥50 million figure itself that I was dissatisfied with. I disliked the idea of someone else determining that as the pinnacle of my life.
I Lost Sight of the Advantages of Being an Employee
Being an employee offers many advantages. You receive a monthly salary and can leverage the company's credibility and systems. There are also projects that only large organizations can handle. If issues arise, responsibility can be shared within the organization.
I don't intend to deny the value of that environment. However, for me, the inability to make my own decisions outweighed the benefits of being an employee.
As an employee, you primarily perform tasks requested by your superiors or clients. You cannot fully decide what to prioritize, who to work with, or which areas to dedicate your time to.
In exchange for stability, you surrender a portion of your time and judgment to the company.
I gradually began to question whether simply continuing to work as instructed by others was enough. Even if it was easy, it wasn't leading to the growth I desired. Once I reached that conclusion, there was no longer a reason to remain an employee.
What I Gained for the First Time by Starting My Own Business
Now, inquiries about travel to Japan arrive daily from overseas.
I pitch to companies that interest me, secure my own projects, and negotiate terms. I can also choose the people I work with.
What's particularly significant is being able to work with people I like.
As an employee, you cannot solely choose your superiors, colleagues, assignments, or clients. After starting my own business, I can decide who I want to work with long-term.
For me, someone who loves travel, being able to make a living by traveling the world is also a great joy.
Not a day goes by without challenges. Recruitment, sales, funding, contracts, project management. My responsibilities as a business owner have become far heavier than during my corporate days.
Nevertheless, I have never regretted leaving PwC. **Now, every day is truly enjoyable. **
The Dream of Buying a Private Jet
One of my future dreams is to buy a private jet. This isn't simply about wanting a luxury item.
As I work while traveling the world, I want to maximize time efficiency. And I want to gift private jet travel to my family and friends who have supported me.
It's not just about my own prosperity; I want my success to expand the experiences and options for those close to me.
From Yumelia's current standpoint, this might seem like an extravagant goal. However, there's no need to decide upfront whether it's achievable.
I just need to consider what's required to achieve it and progress as far as I can. This mindset hasn't changed since I aimed for the University of Tokyo or when I founded my travel company.
Not Letting Anyone Else Define My Limits
I believe that staying at PwC and continuing to climb the corporate ladder would also have been a very fortunate life.
I didn't leave PwC because I disliked it.
I simply became more eager to explore the future I could build with Yumelia than the one available at PwC.
Working with people I like. Creating work in areas I'm passionate about. Traveling the world. Transforming the outdated mechanisms of the travel industry with AI. And even creating new markets, including space tourism.
I want to try everything possible and see how much I can grow. I want to define the magnitude of my own success, rather than accepting a pre-defined path as an employee.
That is the true reason I left PwC and started my own business.