What is a squiggly career? One in which you jump off the corporate ladder to seek a career and/or lifestyle that is not driven by titles but by a passion for the work. Below is the Ted Talk on Squiggly Careers.
Meet Franz Huber. At twenty-something, he was on the fast track in a large Brazilian corporation. He tells the story of how he wanted to be the president of a car company because he was passionate about cars; but as he learned more about corporate life, the price of the title became too expensive.
Franz and other youths are opting out before they get fully sucked into a lifestyle that demands a lifetime of work without experiencing a world that they only hear about. In Franz’s case, it started as a temporary change to avoid the consequences of a health crisis – he had worked himself into exhaustion and needed a rest. The plan was to travel for a year and then go back to corporate. It has been seven years, many countries, and there is no plan to go back to corporate. Why? Because in his journey to see the world, he became self-aware of what made his soul happy. It was not the work, money, or things that one consumes. What makes Franz happy is meeting and helping people; seeing new countries and cultures; engaging in spiritually fulfilling activities, and reading books that help him become a better person.
So what is the plan? Franz is not done yet exploring the world, the pandemic was a setback and he returned home to Brazil to plan and then re-engage. In a few months, he will be on the road again, traveling his way, with low-budget but high-impact experiences. As he travels he works and invests such that the amount he had saved during his corporate career is the same amount he has saved now. Later he plans to open a venture in the Caribbean and settle down to do the things he loves.
Franz is truly a different person from when he started his career. He is more spiritual. He has more time for family. He is more aware of different cultures. But most of all he is more self-aware of who he is and what drives his passion for travel and adventure. Want to learn more about Franz and this lifestyle of travel? See his website https://www.franzexplorer.com/travel-resources/
