The Corporate Escapee

Danielle Burken escaped corporate in September 2023 — but her journey started six years before that. In this episode Danielle shares how she went from a full-time agency job with two kids under two, to building a six-figure solopreneur business in under 90 days by doing one thing most corporate professionals never do: listening to what people were already asking her for and charging for it.She also breaks down human design — what it is, why it works, and how she uses it to help entrepreneurs build businesses that are aligned with how they naturally operate. If you've ever felt like you're forcing something that should feel easier, this episode is for you.What You'll Learn🎯 Why Danielle tried to escape corporate for six years before it finally clicked🎯 The exact moment she realized she was sitting on a business nobody told her to build🎯 How she landed her first clients using a local networking group — no social media, no ads, no cold outreach🎯 Why overthinking your offer is the #1 thing keeping corporate escapees stuck🎯 What human design actually is and why it's not as woo as it sounds🎯 How she built her business during Tuesday nights at Panera while her husband handled bedtime🎯 Why confidence comes from doing — not from waiting until you feel ready🎯 The push that finally got her to put in her notice — and why timing matters less than decisionKey Quotes"I trusted so deeply that I was going to be caught. And I was." — Danielle Burken"Business gets to be easy and fun. We just weren't taught that in corporate." — Danielle Burken"Anybody exiting corporate has the skills to do it. They're overqualified. They just need to go have the conversation." — Brett TrainorAbout Danielle BurkenDanielle Burken is a human design-based business coach and marketing strategist who helps solopreneurs build sustainable businesses in alignment with how they're naturally wired to operate. She escaped corporate in September 2023 and built a six-figure business in her first year.🌐 Website: https://www.danielleburken.com/ 📱 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielleburken_/ Connect With BrettReady to stop watching from the sidelines and make your move? The Escapee Collective is the community built for corporate professionals who are done with corporate and ready to build something of their own.👉 Join the conversation at theescapeecollective.com

Corporate is using AI to eliminate jobs. Escapees get to use it to multiply themselves. In this solo episode Brett pulls back the curtain on exactly how he runs his entire business with AI — the tools, the use cases, and the honest truth about what it can and can’t do.He also covers the single biggest opportunity most escapees are missing right now — helping small and midsize businesses actually leverage AI. Not programming. Not building agents. Bringing the business judgment that 20+ years of corporate experience gives you and marrying it with the right tools. That’s the superpower. And right now, the market is wide open.What You’ll Learn• How Brett uses AI daily — content editing, research, strategy, operations and more• Why AI is a content editor not a content creator — and why that distinction matters• The SMB opportunity — 88% of small business owners know they need AI, only 14% are doing something about it• Why the real value is pairing business judgment with AI — not programming• The EAD framework — Eliminate, Automate, Delegate• Brett’s current AI stack and exactly what each tool is used for• Why he switched from ChatGPT to Claude — and what that decision taught him about auditing your toolsKey Timestamps• 00:00 — Intro: Corporate is using AI against you. Here’s how to flip it.• 01:00 — How Brett uses AI in his own business every day• 02:00 — AI as content editor not content creator — keeping your voice• 03:30 — Podcast production: from a full day to under an hour• 05:00 — AI as strategy and thought partner• 07:00 — The SMB opportunity — the 74% gap nobody is filling• 09:00 — Flex staffing + AI — why small businesses don’t need full-time hires• 11:00 — The EAD framework: Eliminate, Automate, Delegate• 14:00 — Brett’s AI stack: Claude, Perplexity, Gemini, Canva, Riverside• 16:30 — Close: The one-person army is here. Are you using it?Brett’s AI Stack• Claude — Primary thinking partner, content editor, strategy, writing, business frameworks• Perplexity — Deep research, stats validation, sourced intel• Gemini — Currently testing; Google ecosystem integration• Riverside.fm — Podcast recording, editing, transcription, show notes• Canva — AI-assisted graphics and visuals• Durable — AI website builder (used for Small Business Hotline landing page)Enjoyed This Episode?If you’re using AI in an interesting way as a solopreneur or escapee Brett would love to hear from you — and potentially have you on the podcast. Drop him a note at [email protected] share this episode with someone who needs to hear it — and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform. The old school way still works.