Ex-Banker Finds YouTube Success, Wishes He Quit Corporate World Earlier

Vincent Chan left his six-figure finance job to go full time on YouTube. Now he wishes he never drank the “corporate America Kool-Aid” and made the leap sooner.

According to a Business Insider report, Chan makes more money annually making videos on Alphabet Inc’s (NASDAQ: GOOG) YouTube platform than he did working full time at a large bank corporation. 

After graduating from college, Chan had trouble finding a job mainly because he came from a blue-collar background and all of his connections were blue-collar workers. When he finally landed an opportunity at a large bank, his parents were very proud. 

It wasn’t long before he realized that the job wasn’t all that he hoped it would be — it wasn’t even close. 

“I was spending 60 to 80 hours every single week helping this super large organization build their dream, when I could have been spending that time doing my own thing,” said Chan.

When work started taking a toll on his relationships outside the office, he realized he had to give up the financial safety of the career he had spent years working towards to pursue his own dreams.

Chan began creating finance content for social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Meta Platforms Inc’s (NASDAQ: META) Instagram. He also started his own finance newsletter called “Daily Market Briefs.”

He had built up ample savings to allow him time to get things off the ground, but he didn’t need it. He started making good money from his content pretty quickly, and now he’s making more than he did working at his corporate job.

The only thing he wishes he would have done differently is start sooner. He noted that he drank too much of the “corporate America Kool-Aid” while he was in college, but he was fortunate to find his way out of it. 

“Working for a company might provide you with a sense of security and stability — but your company can fire you the next day, so you don’t really know,” said Chan. 

It is common for those who leave the corporate world to pursue their own work in order to make their own money. 

Some people like Chan create their own company where they’re able to thrive on their own terms through various connections.

Produced in association with Benzinga

Edited by Alberto Arellano and Joseph Hammond