Why I’m Never Going Back to Being an Employee

by Miranda Griffin | Wolves & Fire Studio

A solitary figure walks down an endless road, journeying toward a brighter future against the backdrop of a rugged desert landscape.

Last week, I got one of those emails from Ramit Sethi—the kind that shows up like it was custom-written for whatever chaos you’re sorting through in your head. You know the kind: full of reflections from other entrepreneurs about how their lives have changed since walking away from the 9–5 grind. Vacations. Autonomy. Choosing when to clean their damn kitchens.

And it hit me.

I’m never going to work as an employee again. Ever.

Yes, I technically still have a W-2 for my research assistantship—but it’s not the same. I don’t clock in at 8:00 a.m. I don’t wear a badge. I don’t answer to someone who controls my schedule or creativity. I contribute. I create. I research things that matter to me. And that’s the bar now.

I’m a business owner and a doctorate student. I’m building a studio from scratch—Wolves & Fire—and I’m not doing it so I can trade one kind of burnout for another. I’m doing it so I can build something that’s mine. Something that doesn’t ask me to shrink, play nice, or make small talk in break rooms I never wanted to be in.

Here’s the truth nobody tells you loud enough:

You don’t need to be wildly successful before you say, “This isn’t for me.”

You don’t need 6 figures. You don’t need viral content. You just need the clarity to say: “I’m done living on someone else’s schedule.” I’ve got that clarity now. And I’m building systems so I never have to look back.

So, what does this life look like?

It looks like batch-filming podcasts from my truck with a coffee in hand. It looks like working with clients who respect my time—and paying myself first. It looks like lunch breaks that involve hummus, not cold food inhaled in a break room. It looks like building a future that aligns with my values, my energy, and my goals.

I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s definitely not. But it’s mine and every week that I stay committed to this path, I get a little bit closer to the life I used to only daydream about during someone else’s staff meeting.

I’m not an employee. I’m a founder. Let’s build something that lasts.

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