Episode 37

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Published on:

20th Jun 2021

Corporate Executive Turned TikToker on Taking a Career Break | E37 Tim Traill

Today's guest is Tim Traill.

Tim has spent three decades working his way up to a Corporate Executive in the financial services industry.

Last year, Tim decided he needed a career break. As you’ll hear, the beginning of his break was a challenging period. Tim was missing a sense of purpose and community he found through work.

That was until he stumbled into TikTok. It started as a joke with his kids. He created DIY videos showcasing home improvement, decor ideas, and handyman tips but what started as a joke turned into viral content, and only 5 months later, Tim has 148,000 followers and 1.6 million likes.

Of course we’ll talk about TikTok, but I hope you also pick up something about embracing change, developing curiosity and empathy too.

 

Key Takeaways:

[2:10] How Tim find himself on TikTok

[9:13] Why Tim decide to take a career break after 30 years

[21:26] Responding to criticism with respective and empathy

[25:55] How Tim became an Executive

[31:48] Parenting and what Tim has learned from his kids

 

Favorite Quotes:

[5:44] “What I find about TikTok is that it is bringing together the masses in real time but it is not sugar coated. It is not like FakeBook...or the Facebook.”

[12:45] “I realized that TikTok allowed me to be who I am...be myself.”

[18:59] “As a 49 year old, I can tell you, we continue to learn every single day.”

[33:42] “Just take an opportunity to learn something new. Introduce yourself to things, to people that you otherwise might not want to.”

[45:21] “I realized that I am so grateful as a human being to get the opportunity to be able to learn and be corrected every single day.”

 

More of Tim:

TikTok: @thediytraill

Instagram: @thediytraill

 

More of TSIR:

Find show notes and more at https://www.tsirpodcast.com/

Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/tsirpod/

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About the Podcast

FI Minded: Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Achieve Financial Independence & Have Fun Doing It
Want to achieve Financial Independence (FI) without missing out on life?

FI Minded is the podcast for anyone seeking financial freedom, time freedom, and a work-optional lifestyle — all while enjoying the journey along the way.

Whether you’re at the beginning of your FI journey or already deep into Coast FI or Slow FI, this show gives you practical strategies and insights to reach early retirement and design a life that aligns with your values, purpose, and fulfillment.

Popular topics include:
- FI Optimization Strategies: Actionable advice to reach Financial Independence faster without unnecessary stress.
- Work Optional & Lifestyle Design: How to transition from the corporate grind and build a life of freedom, flexibility, and intentional living.
- Time Freedom & Coast FI: Making the most of your time while still planning for the future, including mini-retirements, travel, and other ways to enjoy your life now.
- Post-FI Identity & Purpose: What to do once you’ve achieved FI, and how to create meaning beyond money.
- Burnout & Balance: Avoid the pitfalls of over-optimization and learn to balance saving for the future with mental health and happiness.

If you want to reach financial independence, design a life that’s purposeful and fun, and avoid burnout along the way, FI Minded is your guide to building a sustainable, fulfilling, and free life.

Some of our past guests include Carl Jensen (1500 Days), Jeremy Schneider (Personal Finance Club), Nick Loper (Side Hustle Show), Andrew Giancola (The Personal Finance Podcast), Jordan Grumet (Earn & Invest), Rachael Camp (Work Optional), Jillian Johnsrud (Retire Often), Sean Mullaney (FI Tax Guy), Jill Sirianni (Frugal Friends), Jackie Cummings-Koski (Catching Up to FI), Joel Larsgaard (How to Money), Cody Garrett (Measure Twice), Jesse Cramer (Personal Finance for Long-Term Investors), Jess (The Fioneers), Chris Hutchins (All The Hacks), Diania Merriam (EconoMe), and many more inspiring voices in the FI space.
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