It’s a good question and one that most employees have asked themselves as they toiled for often unsteady paychecks and mind-numbing work.  It wasn’t openly discussed in school and certainly not at work.  Instead the expectation to make a living is to get a job and earn an income.  So most people do that.  Work hard, get more responsibilities, which usually result in a lot more stress, but not necessarily a lot more pay.   Then marriage and kids suddenly provide urgency to work even harder.  But deep down most people feel like they’re going nowhere fast.  Unless the managers are actually family or relatives, they aren’t going to look after the employees’ best interests.  The obligation ends with the paycheck and occasional perks & bonuses to extract maximum productivity at minimum expense. 

Instead the answer to financial freedom lies with starting your own business.  Save enough money so that you don’t have to worry about bills for a certain period time.  Think hard about what you want to accomplish, work out a plan and then build your business.  It’s not for everyone.  But if you happen to ask that question often enough, it just might be right choice for you.  That’s what I did.  As of the beginning of this month, I’m no longer an employee, but instead a business owner.  And I love it!