Why This PR Exec Left A 16-Year Career To Become An Entrepreneur

After serving as a top PR executive for over 15 years, Gail Becker took a leap of faith away from the corporate world to start her own company.

In April, Becker decided it was time to leave her position as the president of strategic partnerships and global integration at Edelman, one of the largest PR firms in the industry.

“I certainly never really had time to think about what it is that I wanted,” Becker said of her time working at Edelman. But after recently thinking back on advice her late father, a Holocaust survivor, gave her, Becker was inspired to rethink her profession.

“I very distinctly remember him saying, ‘Why would you ever want to work for somebody else?’” Becker said. “He came to this country with nothing ... and he built a business, and he became an entrepreneur.”

Becker is now following in her father’s footsteps as an entrepreneur. While she isn’t yet speaking publicly about the specifics of her company, Becker said it will sell products through retail channels that have a positive social impact. She’s also working on a book to discuss her journey.

“I think when [my father] passed, maybe he passed along some of that fearlessness to me,” she said. “I needed to honor him by showing that I can do what he did.”

When to Jump, an independent media partner of The Huffington Post, is a curated community featuring the ideas and stories of people who have made the decision to leave something comfortable and chase a passion. You can follow When to Jump on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. For more stories like this one, sign up for the When to Jump newsletter here. (Note: The When to Jump newsletter is not managed by The Huffington Post.)