I hear you man. I feel I’m pretty much at the top of my game experience- and knowledge-wise. My close rate on sales is exceptional. Customer service issues near zero. I’ve built and implemented the business processes that nearly every dollar that flows into my current employer’s company passes through. I’ve introduced and trained staff on software and project management tools that have leveraged everyone in the organization’s time by 2x. I’m currently getting stonewalled on negotiated quarterly profit sharing bonuses that would offset inflation to a great degree, and certainly more than the first (and only) 2.9% insult of a raise I got at the end of year 3. All of this while the company continues to make large non essential capital purchases to erase anything I could point to as net profit. If there were an abundance of other competitive opportunities up here I would have jumped ship long ago.

I’ve understood for a while now that employment has now just become a great way to stay on zero (or backslide into credit debt by half a grand per month). Employment in this country has been a hamster wheel for a long time. Running really hard and not moving forward. Now it’s a hamster wheel sliding backwards down a 6-12% incline.

I’m working on a sideline while I still have the energy to work a ten hour day AND stay up half the night creating content and tools. I’m done building other people’s empires.