The Space Between Employment and Entrepreneurship
Simone Jennings is a spiritual business and lifestyle coach with 15+ years of coaching experience and over a dozen certifications spanning spirituality, wellness, marketing, design, and business. As founder of The Lightworking Group, she helps women build soul-aligned businesses that honor both purpose and pace, without burnout.
There is a specific kind of silence that exists in the hallway of a corporate office when you realize you no longer belong there. It isn't a loud or dramatic realization. Instead, it is a slow, steady cooling of the heart toward a life that once made sense.
We hear a great deal about the glory of the "leap" and the hustle of the startup phase. However, we rarely discuss the messy season that precedes the printing of business cards. This is the liminal zone. It is the gap between the person you were taught to be and the soul-led leader you are becoming. This period is full of doubt, desire, discomfort, and deep inner questioning. It is also where the most powerful shifts happen. My intention here is to shed light on what really happens emotionally and spiritually during this transition, validating the experience of those currently standing on the threshold.
The first signs: When success starts to feel like misalignment
For many high achievers, the path to entrepreneurship begins with a confusing sense of guilt. You have checked all the traditional boxes: salary, title, and benefits. On paper, you have arrived. Yet, there is a persistent Sunday night dread that no amount of weekend rest seems to fix.
You find yourself daydreaming about ideas that have nothing to do with your quarterly goals or professional KPIs. You might ask yourself, "Is this it?" while staring at a spreadsheet. Many people feel shame during this phase, thinking they are being ungrateful because they aren't satisfied with a "good" job.
In reality, these symptoms are signs of an internal evolution. Your current container has simply become too small for the person you are growing into.
What keeps us stuck: The pull of security and the fear of the unknown
The primary reason we linger in the space between is the perceived safety of a steady paycheck. We stay because we fear financial instability, worry about what it means to start over from scratch, or even what our peers and family will think if we walk away from a "secure" career. The question of "What if I fail?" becomes a constant background noise.
Most people do not hesitate because they are lazy or afraid of hard work. They stay because the identity shift hasn't fully landed yet. We are often more attached to our professional titles than we realize. Leaving that identity feels like stepping into a void where our worth is no longer defined by an organization.
I was already working as a spiritual coach while finishing college, but as my career evolved, I leaned into marketing and design for my 9-to-5. I told myself it was the responsible choice and stayed because corporate life felt like the safer option.
After adopting my children, I experienced multiple corporate layoffs. The illusion of security cracked wide open when I realized that no matter how loyal or skilled I was, stability was never actually guaranteed by an employer. There was going to be a risk either way.
The soul’s quiet whispers: What really pushes people forward
What actually causes someone to finally take action? It is rarely a single dramatic external push. Instead, it is a culmination of inner nudges that become louder with time. You might reach an energetic breaking point where the cost of staying becomes higher than the cost of leaving.
Sometimes, the final push comes from the support of a coach, friend, family member, or an aligned community that helps you see that your "impossible" dream is actually a viable path.
The spiritual perspective: You’re not lost, you’re between stories
This season of transition isn't a sign of failure or confusion. It is a necessary evolution. Think of it as the cocoon phase between the caterpillar and the butterfly. You are in the soft inhale before the leap. You are in a sacred pause.
In spiritual terms, this is often an energetic mismatch. Your frequency has changed, and you can no longer resonate with the structures of your old life. Using language like alignment, inner wisdom, and divine timing helps to reframe this period as a purposeful journey rather than a period of being "stuck." You are letting go of an old story so a new one can begin.
Navigating the space between (without losing your mind)
If you are currently in this in-between phase, you can honor your process with grounded tools rather than rushing to escape it:
Practice journaling for clarity: Ask yourself what you would do if the money were guaranteed, or what parts of your current day feel most like your true self.
Build energetic capacity: This is the time to prioritize rest and nervous system care. Transitioning into entrepreneurship requires a high tolerance for uncertainty, so creating a stable internal environment is vital.
Explore while employed: You do not have to quit tomorrow to be an entrepreneur. Use your current job as a "venture capitalist" for your soul-work. Test your ideas, build your foundation, and listen to your inner "yes" more than outside approval.
Find your community: Surround yourself with people who understand that purpose is as important as profit. When you are in the space between, the opinions of those who value traditional security can be loud and discouraging.
You don’t just quit your job, you step into a new identity
Becoming an entrepreneur is a spiritual and emotional transformation. You are moving from a life dictated by external expectations to a life led by internal alignment.
The space between is where you develop the courage required to lead and trust yourself. Most importantly, it is where you realize that your value isn't tied to a job title.
If you feel the pull toward something deeper, you are invited to explore In[Her] Soul Return, a coaching program designed to help you navigate this very transition. This journey is about coming home to the work you were always meant to do.
You are not stuck. You are preparing to lead your life from a deeper truth. Trust the process, trust your timing, and know that you are simply preparing for the most honest version of your life.
Simone Jennings, Spiritual Business and Lifestyle Coach
Simone Jennings is a spiritual business & lifestyle coach helping holistic, wellness, and spiritual entrepreneurs, as well as high-functioning women in demanding roles, build businesses that honor both their purpose & pace. After adopting her children, Simone transformed her in-person spiritual coaching practice into a thriving & scalable online transformation business. She blends her corporate background in marketing & design with years of experience as a Reiki Master, somatic coach, & spiritual life coach to create a unique balance of strategy, embodiment, and intuition. As the founder of The Lightworking Group, LLC, she helps women rise into leadership with clarity, confidence, & authenticity, without burnout or losing themselves.
