The new book from Michael Lim

Your Step Off Moment.

How smart and ambitious corporate executives build their second careers.

You spent years building someone else's dream. This is the playbook for building your own, without burning the boats or the bank account.

Millions
of readers reached
92,000+
followers on Medium
6x
award-winning entrepreneur
$1M+
in client sales

The big idea

That feeling of Step Off.

It does not arrive dramatically. It starts small, like a rock in your shoe.

You have felt it for years. Maybe decades. You numbed it and kept walking. You did everything right. The title. The salary. The mortgage. The life that looks good on paper.

But the rock keeps getting bigger. It is the dread on a Sunday night. The boredom at 2:36pm on a random Thursday. The glazed-over eyes in one more pointless meeting.

You do not want to quit your life or abandon your responsibilities. You want to step off the ever-ascending escalator of achievement. To slow down, explore, and build something that is finally yours.

That feeling is your step off moment. Most people bargain with it for a whole career. This book is for the ones who finally listen.

Who this is for

Written for the second act.

The senior executive

You have climbed high enough to see the ceiling. Now you want to own the building.

The ex-corporate pro

You already left, or you are about to. You need a system, not a leap of faith.

The quiet expert

You know a lot and tell no one. It is time to turn that knowledge into income.

The one who feels the pull

You cannot unfeel it. This book gives that feeling a plan.

The award-winning employee

You have the titles and the trophies. The scoreboard stopped mattering.

The deep specialist

You go deep, not wide. That narrow expertise is a business waiting to happen.

The Asia builder

You can feel the ASEAN decade coming. You want to be early, not late.

The side-starter

You will not gamble the mortgage. You build proof first, then you leap.

Inside the book

A clear path, not a pep talk.

How to build the mindset to step off, even when it all looks perfect on paper.

How to turn your post-corporate story into your most valuable asset.

How to choose your niche and the exact clients worth serving.

How to launch and land your first paying clients, without a big audience.

How to build sales systems and pricing that grow without you.

How to scale with content and become the obvious, no-competition choice.

The method

Four parts. One clear path.

The book moves through four stages, from the mindset to leave, to a business that scales without you.

1
R.E.A.D.Y
Build the mindset
2
S.T.A.R.T
Launch from zero
3
G.R.O.W
Win clients and sales
4
S.C.A.L.E
Grow beyond solo

The chapters

The full journey, part by part.

Four parts. Eighteen chapters. One clear path from the corner office to a business that is yours. Tap a part to look inside.

Part 1R.E.A.D.YBuild the solopreneur mindset
  • 01Regret and Endings
  • 02Anxiety and Adversity
  • 03Daring and Yes
Part 2S.T.A.R.TGo from zero to one
  • 04Solopreneur Social Contract
  • 05Story: Creating Your Post-Corporate Story
  • 06Target: Creating Your Niche and Characters
  • 07Action: Steps to Launch Your Business
  • 08Resources: Exploit Your Unfair Advantages
  • 09Traction: Your Unique Positioning
Part 3G.R.O.WGrow through the growing pains
  • 10Gain: Acquiring Your First Clients
  • 11Refine: Setting Up Your Positioning
  • 12Opportunity: Building Your Sales Systems
  • 13Widen: Iteration, Experimentation, Testing
Part 4S.C.A.L.EGrow beyond a solo operation
  • 14Selling: Proximity, Productizing, and Process
  • 15Connection: Creating Content That Scales
  • 16Access: The Art of Achieving The Impossible
  • 17Leverage: The No Competition Playbook
  • 18Expand: Going Beyond A Solo Operation

Opens with the prologue: The Day My Grandmother Ruined My Life

Early praise

What readers are saying.

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About the author

Michael Lim.

In 2024, my life looked perfect on paper. I had sold my consulting business, earned the title, built the house, and collected the awards. Then my 90-year-old grandmother asked me one simple question, and I could not unhear it. That was my step off moment.

My writing has been read by millions across the largest business publications online, with more than 92,000 followers on Medium. I am a 6x award-winning entrepreneur, I have driven over $1M in client sales, and I split my life between Bali and Singapore.

This book is the system I wish I had on the day I stepped off. It is everything I have learned about turning hard-won expertise into a second career you actually own.

Pre-order bonuses

Order now, start today.

Bonus 01

The Step Off Diagnostic

Take my assessment and get a free report on exactly where you are stuck and what to do next.

Bonus 02

Chapter one, instantly

Do not wait for release day. Get the opening chapter in your inbox the moment you order.

Bonus 03

The launch masterclass

A live session where I walk through the first move to make after you finish the book.

Questions

Before you order.

When does the book come out?

The book releases [ add release date ]. Pre-order now to lock in the bonuses and get it first.

What formats will it be available in?

[ Confirm formats. ] The book is planned for hardcover, ebook, and audiobook through Earnshaw Books and major retailers.

Is this only for people who want to quit their job?

No. It is for anyone who feels the pull to build something of their own. Many readers start on the side while still employed, and leave only when the numbers make it easy.

I am not in Asia. Is it still relevant?

Yes. The framework works anywhere. The Asia lens is an added edge, not a requirement.

Do you offer bulk orders for teams?

Yes. For team and corporate orders, reach out at [ add contact email ] and I will sort you out.

Your step off moment is now.

You already know the feeling. This book gives it a plan. Step off, and step into the work that is yours.

Your Step Off Moment · Michael Lim · Earnshaw Books