The 9–5 Was the Experiment. This Is the Return.
- Brooke Ozlem Erol
- 5 hours ago
- 5 min read
We need to rethink every little thing about work. This conversation isn’t new — those of us who care deeply about the future of work and about making work more human have been raising these questions for decades.
But why? Why now? Why does it feel like the entire system is cracking under our feet?
To understand what’s happening today, we have to understand what changed.
For most of human history, people didn’t “have jobs.” They had livelihoods. They survived — and often thrived — through small trades, land, craft, community networks, and the ability to create or sell something of their own.
Most people were craftspeople, artisans, or independent service providers, working for themselves or in tiny family businesses.
Think of:
blacksmiths
tailors
bakers
weavers
carpenters
shoemakers
potters
candle makers
herbalists
midwives
smiths of all kinds (silver, metal, weapons)
They sold directly to their community. They controlled their own schedule. They weren’t “employees” in the modern sense — they were producers.
Entrepreneurial spirit was the norm.
Before factories, corporations, and the 9–5 system reshaped our world, people made a living in far more entrepreneurial, decentralized, relationship-driven ways than we often realize. In many ways, what we now call “modern entrepreneurship” is actually a return to how humans have earned money for thousands of years.
Then the factory age began.
And collectively, we made a deal: We traded our time, our skills, and our talent for money — and in return, companies promised stability, security, and a predictable path forward.
For a while, it worked. There was a sense of belonging, even if the work wasn’t always aligned with who we really were. There was stability. Savings. A clear ladder to climb.
But slowly, the foundation cracked.
Companies made us believe we had to stay with them no matter what they did. They even made selling — the very thing humans have done for millennia — look risky or shameful, so fewer people would consider creating something of their own.
They offered golden handcuffs: just enough salary and benefits to keep people from leaving, but not enough meaning or autonomy to thrive.
They asked for more and more from workers while offering less in return. The gap between CEOs and employees stretched to extremes. Short-term shareholder value suffocated long-term vision. The education system became a pipeline for compliant workers, not creative citizens.
We were squeezed into boxes we didn’t fit.
And then the 1990s hit — with the first major wave of layoffs among well-educated, high-performing professionals. It only got worse over the last decades: Layoffs became the first response to any downturn. People were treated like expenses, not humans.
Is it any wonder we’re talking so much about leadership, work culture, burnout, toxicity, belonging, psychological safety, or meaningful work?
Business has been doing well with numbers — but not with people.
After more than 20 years of helping individuals find meaningful work, I’ve watched these trends worsen, not improve. The loyalty demanded from workers was never reciprocated. Candidates were asked to complete unpaid assignments and then ghosted. Workplaces became more harmful, less human.
And then came the layoffs in the middle of the night. The email at 4am. The access cut instantly. The message — spoken or unspoken — that people don’t matter.
No wonder the ground is shaking. No wonder millions are rethinking everything about their careers.
We’re not broken. The system is. And we are remembering something important — something ancient:
We were not designed to live only for Fridays. We were not designed to shrink ourselves to fit into someone else’s box. We were not designed to hand over our agency to institutions that cannot care for our well-being the way we can care for our own.
So where does all of this leave us?
It leaves us with a simple, brave truth: We need to reclaim a bit more control over our lives — not out of fear, but out of intention.
One of the most accessible ways to do that today is by becoming an solopreneur in the smallest, most doable sense of the word.
I don’t mean quitting your job tomorrow. I don’t mean risking everything. I don’t mean “going big.”
I mean starting something that is yours — a solopreneur path, a side gig, a tiny offering rooted in what you already know, what you’ve lived, and what you care about.
Something simple. Something you can test. Something that gives you agency.
Five or ten years ago, I rarely recommended this except to clients who were already dreaming of entrepreneurship. Back then, staying in a corporate job was genuinely less risky.
But today? The ground has shifted. Losing your job overnight is just as risky — sometimes more — than trying something small on your own.
So try this on.
Start building a Plan B while keeping your Plan A. Explore it slowly and safely. Give your future self more options, more freedom, more resilience.
One amazing company making this shift possible is Stan Store, a platform built with a mission I deeply believe in: empowering people to create something of their own quickly, simply, and without overwhelm.
If you want to see how it works, take a look at my own Stan Store; CareerYouLove . You can also use my affiliate link to try it free for 14 days. This is for you; not for me. I would not have recommended them if I did not study them and worked with them. They agree with what I say here and want to give everyone more power to be themselves.
If you need help to brainstorm ideas, if you need support and a little push to start this off, choose my most affordable coaching session at my stan store, designed specifically to help you explore what a side gig might look like for you and how to start without burning your life down.
This is not about walking away from your career. It’s about walking toward your autonomy. It’s about remembering that humans have always created, contributed, and built lives beyond job titles.
Work is changing fast. Let’s choose to change with it — with intention, courage, and a deep belief that work should make us feel more like ourselves, not less.
Gratefully,
Ozlem Brooke Erol
I’ve always been an advocate for people who love to work, who want to live a meaningful life, and who long to contribute to the world in a positive way. We all deserve that.
Everything I do—reading, learning, writing, speaking, coaching, and consulting—is driven by one purpose: to uplift as many people as possible by helping them unleash their unique gifts, passions, and purpose. Our world desperately needs it.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to connect. Visit www.yourbestlifeinc.com for individuals or www.purposeful.business for organizations. Send me a message here or there. I always have a complimentary session to see if we are a good match to work together and understand your challenges.
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