from corporate america to solopreneurship
published 9.18.24
We sat down with Drew Taylor Cohen, Consultant and Project Manager at qb. and Founder and Coach at Chosen Directions, to discuss leaving corporate America for independent consulting, running her own business and her learnings on and for ESG teams.
Here are the highlights:
Why I left my dream job
Straight out of college, I jumped into the corporate world, and over the years, I explored various industries and roles across different departments—account management, partnerships, product and finally, social impact.
Over time, I came to lead the social impact program at a publicly traded tech company, spearheading community engagement and employee programs and launching signature social impact initiatives. While the work was incredibly fulfilling, the demands began to take a toll. For a long time, I was a team of one, juggling numerous responsibilities and constantly justifying funding for what was often seen as a “cost center” by the business. As we know, the ripple effects of social impact work extend far beyond the balance sheet—affecting employees, shareholders and customers—but getting that buy-in internally was often a challenge.
I began to notice a growing misalignment between my personal values and those of the company. This became more challenging to navigate, and eventually, I hit a breaking point. I was stressed and accelerating towards burnout. It was clear I needed to take a step back and reevaluate my path. After spending 12 years in the corporate world, I decided to make the leap into consulting. For me, the decision was both personal and professional, rooted in a desire to align my work with my values while also pursuing opportunities that allowed me to do what I am great at and what I enjoy most.
What became clear was that I thrive in environments where I work with people who share my values. I enjoyed the variety of working on multiple projects across different industries, and I craved the ability to create a broader impact through a portfolio of clients. Most importantly, I realized I needed more flexibility in my life to prioritize my mental health and well-being. I had several conversations with entrepreneurs and people already in the consulting space, and they validated what I had been feeling. While it was daunting to leave the stability of a corporate job—with its steady paycheck, healthcare and other benefits—I was driven by a clear vision of where I wanted to go - and what I wanted to leave behind.
Starting a business that aligns to my values
After I left my corporate job, I joined qb. as a consultant and started my own coaching business, Chosen Directions, where I help people at a crossroads develop a strong internal compass so they can live a more aligned and authentic life. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned—especially in my first year—is how lonely entrepreneurship can be. As a solo-preneur, I quickly realized that I didn’t want to go it alone. So, I made a conscious decision to seek out a community, particularly female founders, where I could both offer and receive support. It’s impossible to figure everything out on your own, and leaning on others has been key.
Another big learning curve has been wearing all the hats. As a solo founder, you’re the CEO, CFO and everything in between. But the real challenge is doing it in a way that stays true to my values, especially after experiencing burnout in the past. Balancing the demands of running a business while ensuring I don’t fall back into old patterns has been an interesting, ongoing dance.
Having strong values as a business owner has been my compass. It helps me tune out the external noise and stay focused on what works for me and my business, rather than constantly comparing myself to others. Trusting my gut and building something aligned with my values has made all the difference.
Doing work that energizes me
When I took the leap from corporate to consulting, I was intentional about working alongside others who shared my values and vision. I learned the hard way that the people you work with have the power to make or break your experience. At qb. there’s a strong sense of community and everyone genuinely wants to lift each other up. This kind of supportive environment is so essential to thriving in any role, and it's something I'm deeply grateful for.
At qb., my role is centered around project leadership and management, with a particular focus on our reporting projects. One of the most fulfilling aspects of my work is leading the development of annual impact and ESG reports. These reports are a way to showcase the tangible, positive changes organizations are making for their communities, customers, employees and shareholders.
I get to work directly with in-house impact leaders who are navigating the same challenges I once faced. Having been in their shoes, I can relate to their experiences and help them synthesize and communicate the impact they're creating. That’s particularly rewarding—seeing how these companies align their business practices with their social and environmental values and helping tell those stories effectively and maximize their ESG impact by understanding what matters most to their stakeholders.
What I wish more people knew
Drawing from my in-house experience, one of the most impactful levers for companies is the social aspect—specifically, really understanding what your employees and customers care about and addressing those issues directly. Too often, there’s unnecessary guesswork in figuring out where to focus efforts. A simple solution? Create a two-way dialogue with stakeholders and get their buy-in. Some of the easiest wins can lie in simply leveraging stakeholder inputs.
One way to do this is through a materiality assessment, which we recommend happens before the reporting process. This ensures your report is aligned with the topics shareholders care about and what’s most critical to the business at its core. Another way to engage stakeholders is through 1:1 interviews during the reporting process. These conversations can shed light on aspects of a company’s ESG performance that might not be obvious at first. Doing this not only builds trust, but leads to meaningful engagement that can create positive progress and change in companies.
Stakeholders need to recognize the business value of ESG and impact work, and an annual report is a great way to articulate and amplify this. Whether it’s through talent attraction and retention or the company’s market perception, ESG plays a role in a company’s long-term success. Companies that fail to recognize this will inevitably be left behind. At the end of the day, ESG isn’t just “the right thing to do” morally—it’s also a way to future-proof your business. People want to work at companies that align with what they care about and where they feel valued, which I hope is motivating for companies to stay focused on their ESG and impact efforts (and keep reporting on them).
