Ever felt stuck in a job that doesn’t excite you? Or maybe you’ve spent months—even years—chasing a side hustle with no results? Janis Ozolins knows exactly how that feels. For four years, he tried everything—YouTube, blogging, podcasting—with zero measurable success. No audience. No money. Just relentless trial and error.

But he never gave up.

In this episode The Time I Left My 9 to 5 podcast, we dive into:

• How he stayed motivated when nothing was working (hint: it wasn’t just discipline).
• The exact moment he realized he was living in a bubble—and how a single book shattered his limiting beliefs.
• Why his first "successful" business model wasn’t sustainable—and how he finally found the sweet spot between passion and profit.
• The financial rollercoaster of entrepreneurship—how he planned his escape from the 9-5 (with a pregnant wife and a mortgage).
• The biggest mistake he made while building his side hustle (spoiler: it involves switching jobs at the worst possible time).
• 
  

If you’ve ever doubted whether you’re cut out for entrepreneurship, or if you’re tired of grinding with no results, this episode is for you.

📲 Connect with Janis:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaozolins

📲 Stay Up to Date with the Show:

Host Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maggieindata

Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetimeileftmy9to5.podcast

Podcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thetimeileftmy9to5.podcast

00:00 Intro

01:29 The Journey Begins: From Corporate to Creative

04:37 The Struggles and Persistence

10:01 Discovering the Visuals Niche

18:45 Making the Leap: Quitting the 9 to 5

22:58 Financial Realities and Creative Freedom

26:43 Staying Relevant in Content Creation

31:32 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of The Time I Left My 9 to 5, Kiki Couchman is a Stanford grad who left her job in private equity to build a yogurt company with her best friend. Kiki is the cofounder of Beny Yogurt, and I have to say, she's probably one of the coolest founders I've ever interviewed in the history of this podcast. Kiki's story is one of calculated risk-taking and determination, as she left behind a successful career in private equity to build a consumer product from scratch with no investment funding.

What I love about Kiki's story is her unique approach to building a business. Kiki and her co-founder Elan chose to build their brand in public, sharing behind-the-scenes moments on social media, and has already gathered over 12,000 loyal customers before the brand has even launched. Her always-on launch strategy, combined with the fact that the company is 100% bootstrapped, has forced her and her cofounder to think carefully about each step and every decision. With her forward-thinking mindset, bias towards action, and bravery, Kiki’s commitment is driven by creating a product that truly makes a difference in people’s everyday lives.

Without a doubt, Kiki is an inspiration to anyone looking to make a change.

I’m super excited to share this conversation with you, what made Kiki decide to leave her 9 to 5 behind, and how she has navigated the challenges and opportunities of building a business from scratch. But before we jump in, I’d love if you could subscribe to the channel if you’re watching on YouTube or rate the podcast if you’re listening everywhere else. You have no idea how such a small action can help me to continue bringing you more unfiltered, real conversations just like this one.

📲 Connect with Kiki:

Instagram: @couchwoman

📲 Stay Up to Date with the Show:

Host Instagram: @maggieindata

Podcast Instagram: @thetimeileftmy9to5.podcast

Podcast YouTube: @thetimeileftmy9to5.podcast

00:00 Introduction

02:53 Kiki's Journey from Private Equity to Entrepreneurship

04:21 Building Beny Yogurt: Challenges and Strategies 1

0:49 The Role of Social Media in Business Growth

17:58 Partnership Dynamics and Personal Growth

24:07 Financial Decisions and Bootstrapping

29:06 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast episode, Ashna Mankotia, a former product manager and current content creator, delves into her transition from working in tech to establishing her apparel brand, Bazaar Customs. Laid off just before her 30th birthday, Ashana took it as an opportunity to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams.

During the conversation, she talks about her community-building endeavor, Saffron, which she opted not to scale into a million-dollar business to maintain its true communal essence. Ashana candidly shares her experiences of the identity shift from a corporate role to an entrepreneur, the financial preparation involved, and the challenges she faced while starting a clothing brand. She also reflects on her self-discovery journey in India, a country she left as a child, and the nuanced feelings of what her life might have been like had she grown up there. The podcast aims to provide insights into the realities of leaving a stable job to build something independently and advises on balancing one's passion with practical considerations.

📲 Connect with Ashna:

TikTok: @ohmygoshna

Instagram: @ohmygoshna

📲 Stay Up to Date with the Show:

Host Instagram: @maggieindata

Podcast Instagram: @thetimeileftmy9to5.podcast

Podcast YouTube: @thetimeileftmy9to5.podcast

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Identity Crisis and Entrepreneurial Guilt

02:36 The Reality of Content Creation

06:54 The Layoff Experience

09:31 Financial Preparedness and Taking the Leap

12:58 The Struggle of Self-Identification

14:45 The Saffron Community: Passion vs. Business

18:31 Scaling to a Million Dollar Business

19:10 The Value of True Community

22:42 Launching a Clothing Brand: Bazaar

24:46 Self-Discovery and Cultural Reflection

28:24 Challenges of Starting a Physical Product Business

32:00 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs

36:53 Redefining Success and Flexibility

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.