311 | Jonathan Suter | How to Ditch your Corporate Job and Actually Start a Business

In this episode, Chris interviews Jonathan Suther, co-founder, SimpleTax. Jonathan shares how grit, ingenuity and focus can help you quit your corporate job, follow your dreams, and start your business.

 

This show starts off with Jonathan sharing his background information and his life before Student Works. Did Jonathan always have a huge appetite for hard work? Jonathan shares some inspiring (and funny) anecdotes that are sure to interest you. You will also learn about Jonathan’s first work stint at Nortel, touted back then as “a safe haven” for those looking for a stable career. What lessons did Jonathan learn when his entire department was axed overnight?

 

Next, Jonathan shares his Student Works experience and reveals the important and universally applicable lessons that he learned while there. Particularly, Jonathan highlights the need to cultivate unwavering focus. Listeners will learn how focus is necessary for delivering a successful and sustainable product. Chris and Jonathan also remind listeners that the road to success is laden with many challenges – challenges that test our patience, courage, and ingenuity.

 

After Student Works, Jonathan worked in the technology sector for a while now. While this experience was rewarding for Jonathan, he always harbored entrepreneurial ambitions. However, like most of us, Jonathan was not willing to give up his job security unless the “perfect business opportunity” knocking on his door. So, did that eventually happen? What led Jonathan to finally give up the comfort of his job and don the entrepreneurial hat?

 

In our last and perhaps, more interesting segment, you will hear Jonathan talk about SimpleTax, a company that he co-founded along with his wife, Allison. Jonathan reveals his strong “Why” behind starting SimpleTax. He also reveals his amazing “pay what you make like” business model. How has SimpleTax managed to survive (and thrive) with such a unique payment model? What position does SimpleTax hold in the DIY tax space today?

 

Towards the end, Jonathan shares some crucial attributes that define a “Leader of Tomorrow”. For all this and much more, tune in to our latest show now!

 

What You Will Learn In This Episode:

• Is “job security” a myth?  
• How to quit your job, follow your passion, and start a business 
• The ART of cultivating unwavering FOCUS for meeting your entrepreneurial goals
• How to build a great product that alleviates common pain points

 

Resources: 

SimpleTax

Student Works 

Chris Thomson LinkedIn

Jonathan Suter LinkedIn