#77. 6 Figure Salary at Google Nearly Broke Me - David Richards

In this episode, I sit down with David, an entrepreneur who left a high-paying career at Google to build a global watch strap brand from scratch.

We talk about golden handcuffs, corporate burnout, and the hidden mental cost of prestigious careers. David shares how he built his side hustle alongside a demanding tech job, calculated his financial runway, and made the leap once the numbers and conviction aligned.

We dive into customer acquisition costs, compounding growth, lifestyle creep, and the realities of scaling an e-commerce business from Instagram DMs to selling hundreds of products a day worldwide. He explains why marketing skill, financial discipline, and long-term thinking matter more than hype or big ideas.

This is a powerful episode for anyone questioning their career path, building a side hustle, or trying to balance financial security with the desire to create something meaningful on their own terms.

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