About this site

Unplugged Ambition is an independent publication and community site launched in June 2024 by Katherine Pomfret (me!) in reponse to the reaction to a LinkedIn post that discussed the issues with corporate life and my intentions to leave it behind.

It is envisioned from the outset as a true community site, with voting rights for members, input into strategic decisions including grant awards and commissioning for Founding Members, and an exemplar of alternative entrepreneurialism in how it operates.

Unplugged Ambition: The Mission

Unplugged Ambition is here to help you identify and use your gifts and talents to build the life you want, whilst being mindfully part of a community.

It is aimed as a guide, inspiration, signpost and community for anyone working in corporate roles and looking to unplug from the dopamine, adrenaline and headfuckery of that lifestyle. If you want to embrace a simpler, more meaningful and creative life, work sustainably and make an impact in areas that matter to you, Unplugged Ambition aims to support you across downsizing and financial planning, skill development, building confidence and resilience right up to offering funded opportunities to help you get going.

Whether change is something you are planning now, or at some unknown point in the future, and whether you're planning a big and bold lifestyle change or simply wanting to read, create or connect with nature and be in good company, the community at Unplugged Ambition is there to give inspiration, challenge and act as a sounding board.

A safe place to share ideas and thoughts

Unplugged Ambition is envisioned as a community site, where we all contribute our experiences and wisdom. From Week One, we are honoured to be publishing content from some pretty awesome human beings.

Whilst you can't upload your own content yet, you can comment freely and use our Contact page to offer to write / create videos / create art for the site.

We don't seek to censor or enforce an ideology: we want our members to find consistently high-quality, well-written content created for them. Not puff pieces and lazy thinking.

With UA you don't need to scroll through toxic self-promotion and equivocation: every piece of content should be thought-food for the day.

Speak freely

I have had hundreds of DMs for folks who don't feel comfortable sharing their experiences or dreams on LI: it's generally a fairly toxic place, and entirely public.

On Unplugged Ambition you can use a psuedonym (please do not change this though, or we won't remember you!) to talk about anything related to the business of living a happy life: coping with corporate bullshit if you're still there, doing the job on your terms, developing side hustles, or building a lifestyle that reflects your passions and talents.

Expressing the rage, disbelief, frustration and misery that we feel sometimes trying to thrive and survive (most folks I've connected with easily meet the definition of high achiever)is healthy and productive when it helps us reduce our sense of isolatino and strengthen our resolve for change. Here, you'll be doing it safely and if this is the stage you are at then you are welcome.

Why a subscription site?

A subscription helps keen our members in a safe space with fellow travellers, where relationships can be forged and shared interests found without the intrusion, performance and uninformed, unsympathetic judgment you tend to find on open forums.

The key driving factor behind the development of UA was the hundreds of DMs I received from people saying they were too scared to comment on my posts, or even like them. That's chilling. And that's why I'm committed to a members-only site.

Furthermore, we want to support members in achieving change and raising awareness of issues that: by driving a modest revenue we will be able to pay contributors who financially or psychologically need the boost that income represents as well as offer grants to those looking to reskill in order to change careers.

Finally, I'll be spending at leat 8-10 hours per week developing content and liaising with contributors and generally running the site until we can get admin support. So I'm hoping to get some small income (an hourly wage as part of the multiple-income stream philosophy at the heart of alternative entrepreneurialism) for this as part of my personal alternative entreprenuerialism journey.

Fairness, respect and sharing

My hope is to be able to reward top contributors or people able to help moderate the community with free subscriptions: my aim is to generate a revenue that enables us to meet our social enterprise goals, and to ensure that all who contribute and get involved share in the success of the site. Let's build something equitable.

If you are in a low-GDP country and relatively low paid, and the international subscription fee is a barrier for you, then please contact me and I can set you up with a lower subscription fee.

Why sign up today?

Unplugged Ambition launched on 16 June 2024 to a waitlist and on June 18 publicly.

By joining earlier, you not only help the site achieve it's purpose more quickly, but get the chance to shape the site through member votes and other ways to Get Involved.

A community with purpose and commonality

Unlike most other social platforms, at UA you'll find people with similar goals, at various stages of realising them.

Take concrete action

Joining Unplugged Ambition can be your first step on the path to finding ways as well as people to champion you outside of the bubble of

Once you do, you;ll suprise yourself with how quickly change can happen.

Pay It Forward

I am hopeful that some of the incredible, strong women who've DM-ed me and who are already living their authentic lives after careers in the commercial world will join to give guidance, provide anecdotes and philosophies and offer support to those earlier in their journey.

It's only a movement if we work together.

Moderated discussions

In our heads, if not in our feeds, there is always a 22 year old software developer in Pune, a tech bro in Austin or that jealous former colleague who is going to start grief in the threads.

We don't tolerate insults, minimisation or negativity. We don't encourage odes to capitalism, corporate life or financial success in excess of our needs. We do support challenge, probing and alternatives.

In short: be yourself, but those not adhering to the spirit of the site will be banned. This is not for everyone. This is for people like YOU.

Career change inspiration

Funeral director, farmer, dog groomer, caravan park warden, bus driver, jewellery maker, wedding photographer...

Just some of the folks who've contacted me as ex Sales or Marketing leaders and are, blatantly, happy.

Come find out more about the ins and outs of different careers and how to get started as well as make connections that may be able to help out with work experience or contacts.

Think beyond 'just going freelance' to doing something you really love. Live the life you were born to live.

Founding Members

Every member who joins up in June 2024 will have for the length of their continued membership "Founding Member" status.

Founding Members will have additional voting rights, priority on all "Get Involved" Opportunities and on Discord will be able to start threads from Day One, whereas this right willneed to be earned for members joining later.

Founding Members' deserve our gratitude because their support has made this site possible.