Val's book, how I quit my job, chasing your passion
This place sucks, I quit
Training Wheels: How a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Road Trip Jumpstarted My Search for a Fulfilling Life. Written by Valerie Worthington.
Podcast I recorded with Dr. Valerie Worthington in March 2023. Click the link to watch.
Watch Josh Presley interview Dr. Valerie Worthington
I recently finished a BJJ book written by my friend, Dr. Valerie Worthington. Quick back story, I got to train with Val around 2011 while I was training at UFC fighter Ryan Hall’s gym 50/50 BJJ in Virginia, USA. I remember he told me, “a really good female brown belt is gonna come through for a few weeks.” I thought “Ok, cool.”
Honestly, at the time I had not got the opportunity to train with many female higher belts in BJJ (purple, brown and black belts) up until that time. I remember rolling with Val and getting submitted by a cross collar choke. It was awesome.
We actually stayed together in the same fighter house for a week or so. I remember Val was always writing papers and studying while I was smoking weed and watching ‘The Wire’.
What I didn’t know about her was that she was writing a very cool book released in 2016 that chronicled her journey from quitting her very stable, well paying job to drive across the United States with the purpose of training at different BJJ gyms across the country.
Travelling to different gyms in today’s world doesn’t sound like a far fetched idea. But back in 2007 the BJJ world was a very different place. Females at BJJ gyms were few and far between and many BJJ gyms experienced a lot of tribalism, which still exists today but it is not as extreme (in most cases).
I can relate to this story on many levels. I quit my full time job at the end of 2023 to pursue my passion of teaching BJJ. It was a stressful time for me full of anxiety. I’ll never forget the “Meeting” I had with my bosses that lead to my decision of “I need to quit.”
The Meeting
Boss 1 (man): “Hey Josh, we need to talk. Last week you were a few minutes late getting to work…”
Josh: “Sorry. It’s been a big adjustment getting used to having two kids.”
Boss 2 (woman): “And you also only get an hour for lunch. Just so you know. If you want to take the full hour, you will need to get that approved by everyone in the office.”
Josh: “Um…ok? There’s only 3-4 of us in the office at the most so…”
Boss 1 (man): “Another thing. We heard that you have been busy with your BJJ classes. Are you doing afternoon classes? That’s a problem for us. That won’t be happening here.”
At this point I realized I need to leave this hell hole.
Josh: “…right. Hey, can I work a day a week from home? You gave someone else in the office the same arrangement after they threatened to quit.”
Boss 1 (Man): “Oh, Heaven’s no! We can’t do that. You’re here from 9am until 5pm. Don’t leave a minute sooner.”
Josh: “Ok. You’re a clown. This place is a joke. I quit.”
I didn’t actually say that last line. But I wish I did.
At the end of the day you only get one life to live. Pursuing your passion isn’t always going to be easy. In fact a lot of the time it’s gonna be difficult. But don’t give up. Do the things you enjoy doing as much as you can. Figure it out. There’s always chances to create a living and make money.
As someone who feels like they “wasted” a lot of time working jobs they don’t like, I’m glad I made the choice that I did. The rest of my life is dedicated to my family, students, and friends.
Quick Book Recap
In 2006, Valerie Worthington “ran away” from home in Chicago, Illinois, USA. She was 36 years old at the time. She needed a change in a major way. Her life seemed successful and “normal” to most. Good job, living in a nice condo. But it was not fulfilling and she was depressed.
The only thing in her life that gave her that feeling of purpose was training BJJ. This book chronicles her journey and gives readers beautiful insights about why we all love jiu-jitsu so much. This book chronicles her road trip across the USA and journey through Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
I would recommend this book to my grandmother and that’s about as high a compliment as I can give a martial arts book. Thank you to Val for writing it.
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