Many Gen Z and Millennial Individuals are hearing a consistent message on social media.
Quit the nine-to-five, start a business, and take control of your life.
Nearly 25% of Gen Z and millennial employees intend to leave their jobs within the next year to start their own businesses, according to a recent survey.
Those who walk away from traditional jobs discover the jump into entrepreneurship comes with gaps, hard lessons, and realities they did not expect.
Dr. Asheli S. Atkins, President and CEO of the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce, says the Chamber is seeing a clear shift.
“Workplace professionals are choosing entrepreneurship for many reasons,” she said. “Sometimes it is racism or discrimination. Sometimes it is a lack of fulfillment, identity issues, stalled career growth, or wanting more autonomy.”
Her insights come from her own research.
“I did a report for the Urban Institute on this topic. It focuses on women who leave the workplace to become entrepreneurs,” she said. “My research centered on Black women, but the pattern holds across groups.”
While many want the freedom entrepreneurship seems to promise, Atkins says the perception is not complete.
“There is this myth that you have to quit your job to be an entrepreneur. Most people do not,” she said. “Many of our members have full-time careers and full businesses running at the same time. And those businesses are thriving.”
The learning curve
First-time business owners often enter entrepreneurship with excitement, but also with blind spots. Many find themselves navigating legal issues, finances, marketing, and certifications for the first time.
“I woke up one day and realized I wasn’t using my talent,” she said. “I knew I had to build something that felt aligned with who I was.”
– Sammi Bivens, owner of Digital Marketing Maven and associates.
They step out motivated by purpose or driven by burnout, only to discover that the behind-the-scenes work is far more demanding than expected.
“People tend to think preparation starts and ends with a business plan,” Atkins said. “A plan is great, but preparation is much bigger than that. Some come in without financial systems in place. Some have not filed taxes. Some do not separate personal and business expenses.”
She says gaps are not a reason to quit, but rather a reason to slow down and seek support.
“You can be a great florist and still struggle with finances or social media,” she said. “That is where organizations like the Chamber come in. There is always time to get prepared.”
Attorney and entrepreneur Justin Martin has seen both the excitement and the pitfalls. His own journey into business began with an early interest in how companies work.
He is the co-founder of one of the state’s most recognized injury firms and has been in the business for 15 years. He never worked for a law firm, and he wanted to stare fear in the face while opening his firm because he didn’t like the promise of someone giving him a paycheck every two weeks with no possibility of autonomy and increased earning potential.
“I realized early that failure did not hurt,” he said. “If it works, great. If not, you try again.”
But even with that mindset, he does not romanticize the path.
“Entrepreneurship is not glamorous,” he said. “People talk about passion. I do not think passion is enough. Passion fades. Commitment does not.”
Martin stresses the importance of financial clarity before resigning from a job.
“You should know every one of your bills. Most people are a slave to an unknown master,” he said. “If I needed three thousand a month, then the question became, how many cases equal that? It is math. The numbers tell the truth.”
His advice to new entrepreneurs is to have patience and self-reflect on the reasons why you want to launch your business.
“A monkey will not let go of one vine until it has a hold of another,” he said. “Do not quit your job because you are frustrated. Make sure your business can support you. Or build it after work. Use your time wisely.”
How to sustain
Derrick “D-Reck” Dixon is the founder of Wreck Shop Records, a Houston-based independent record label created to support southern hip-hop artists. During his time at Clark Atlanta, he earned a master’s degree in marketing with a concentration in systems operations. He utilized that training to establish Wreck Shop as a 30-year Houston institution.
“That was the best thing I ever did,” he said. “Anything I’m doing, I make it systematic. A mom-and-pop shop dies with the person. A system can live forever.”
While most local labels in the 90s operated out of bedrooms or makeshift studios, Dixon invested heavily in staff, radio, retail, and street-team managers across regional markets, using revenue from early music success to build infrastructure.
“I could’ve been buying a car,” he said. “But instead, I staffed up. It allowed me to put out three, four records a year, faster than anybody else.”
The success also brought hard lessons. When a major distributor went bankrupt, Dixon lost $500,000 overnight.
“I had to get two U-Hauls to move all my CDs out of their warehouse,” he said. “In hindsight, I should’ve slowed down. I shouldn’t have gotten so deep on credit. Don’t be arrogant,” he said. “It’s better to have 50% of a mountain than 100% of a hand pile.”
