I was making $500,000 a year and traveling the world… this is why I decided to give it all up

A successful businessman has said he has no regrets about quitting his job, which left him with a $500,000-a-year salary to pursue a career in comedy.

Kurt Sterling, 35, said he feels more fulfilled than ever before, despite earning significantly less than when he was a management consultant.

“It’s just so much better. It’s just fantastic. I really enjoy it. I probably work just as hard, but I do it because I want to,” he told Daily Mail Australia.

Mr. Sterling worked 18 hours a day for a company that was set up so that he would be available to them 24/7.

The 35-year-old admitted there were perks too, including travelling the world and living in a luxury Sydney apartment with 270-degree views of the city.

Mr Sterling claimed the salaries were simply not enough as the ruthless lifestyle put a strain on his relationships and left him feeling alienated.

“I describe it as a deal with the devil. I give you all my time and in return you show me the world,” he said.

Mr Sterling grew up in the Central Coast region of New South Wales and as a teenager was unsure what he wanted to do with his life.

Kurt Sterling, 35, gave up his corporate career and turned down job offers with a salary of $500,000 to pursue his passion for comedy

During his role as a management consultant he travelled to 15 different countries and lived in an apartment in Sydney with a 270 degree view of the city

At high school he excelled in mathematics and economics and was awarded a scholarship to study actuarial studies at the University of New South Wales.

However, during his internship, Kurt found his job “boring” because “weeks and weeks” went by without him talking to people.

Mr. Sterling made the move to a management consulting job “out of pure spontaneity.”

“I found this job in management consulting after the company came to campus and spoke to students there,” he said.

‘I didn’t really understand what it entailed, but I understood that it was an office job where you solve big problems, work for big companies, travel and talk to people.

“I wanted to do business, whatever that meant, and I knew I wanted to talk to people all day long.”

Mr Sterling said the role was “all-encompassing” and he often felt like he was “in a washing machine” as work and commuting were his whole life.

After 12 years, Mr. Sterling realized he was not in the industry he really wanted to work in.

“Covid came along and that meant I couldn’t travel anymore. So all the fun things and things that made me feel good were taken away. And suddenly it was a bad deal for me,” he said.

‘I felt disconnected and dissatisfied. I didn’t want office language, I really missed human interaction.

‘I also felt like I had no shared experiences with friends or family and my twenties were spent in the corporate world.’

In 2022, Sterling made the bold decision to quit his high-paying job to pursue his dream in the comedy world.

He made his debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his stand-up comedy show ‘Corporate Chronicles’.

The comedian has now brought the show back to his home country for Sydney Fringe Comedy, which runs from September 18-20.

Kurt told Daily Mail Australia that he feels most fulfilled in his life and that he performs almost every night

Mr Sterling said the move was a “very strategic decision” and argued that stand-up comedy and consultancy were “the same thing”.

“We were doing strategy projects for companies and saying to them, ‘This is what we think your strength is, and this is why we think you should do this,’” he said.

“When I thought about it, I realized I had three things. I have a lot of stories, because I’ve traveled so much. I feel very comfortable speaking in front of people, because I’ve done it every day for the last 12 years.

‘I’m also good at formulas and patterns and things like that, thanks to my master’s degree.

“I think if you combine those three things, the only answer is stand-up comedy. That’s the only thing I can think of that combines all three.”

Kurt explained that he has found a career path that is truly fulfilling and that he never wants to go back to the job he had before.

“I do it because I’m excited about the new joke, or I’m excited to be on stage, or I’m excited to create something,” he said.

‘I really enjoy every day, and I feel like I’ve forgotten the days.

“I’ve had success entertaining people and making them laugh, and that’s what really makes me happy. Any pressure is internal ambition rather than external stress.”