Life After the Corner Office

The Corner Office Is More Than a Room

For most executives and entrepreneurs, the corner office is more than a physical space—it is an identity.

It is where decisions are made, where strategy takes shape, where others come for direction. Over time, it becomes a measure of success, influence, and purpose.

And then one day—whether by choice, circumstance, or simply the passage of time—you walk out of it for the last time.

What happens next is a question far fewer leaders are prepared to answer.

For more than thirty years, I have worked with senior executives navigating career transitions. Of all the changes leaders face, one stands apart in both complexity and consequence: the moment they step away from the role that has defined them.

This article is the first in a series of conversations with those who have crossed that threshold—into life beyond the corner office.

My Leadership Journey: Mike Fronk

From corporate executive, to small company entrepreneur, to a “portfolio life.”

After obtaining my M.B.A., I secured an entry-level marketing position with a Fortune 500 company, later moving to a second Fortune 500 firm as a marketing manager. Over the next 20 years, I advanced to marketing director and ultimately to vice president, with responsibility for five divisions representing the largest share of the company’s profit and loss.

Transition Story

I did not “step away” from this position—I was fired, much to my disbelief.

I was nearing 60 and had reached the top of the corporate hierarchy. As far as I knew, I was well regarded across the organization.

Work was my identity.

My father lived by a simple philosophy: when you get knocked down, you get back up. It had served him well, and in that moment, I chose to follow his example.

The Succession Process

As part of a major reorganization, many vice president roles were filled by external hires. Two of my divisions were sold, and an outsider was brought in to manage the remaining businesses.

The First Year

In truth, I missed very little about my previous work situation.

I had taken great pride in providing both operational and strategic leadership that drove sustained profit improvement across all five divisions. That success came from an almost constant investment of time and energy in my corporate role.

It was time to move forward.

Not long after, my son—fresh out of college with a degree in computer science—approached me with an idea: to acquire a company providing outsourced IT support for small businesses. While my knowledge of IT was limited to a high-level understanding, I was intrigued and eager to engage.

Looking back, one factor shaped this transition more than any other: time.

About 20 years ago, three events converged in a way that defined the path ahead.

First, my eldest grandson was born. Today, my three grandsons are between 18 and 21. From the beginning, I found myself deeply connected to them—netting turtles at our summer cabin, building a “pirate ship” playhouse, and searching for buried treasure.

Second, my son invited me to partner with him in acquiring what would become our family business—an experience that strengthened my relationships with both my son and daughter.

Third, I began a more intentional search for a healthier belief system—one that could balance what had long been an all-consuming work identity.

Reinvention

That decision led to 20 years as a small business owner—a role dramatically different from my experience in large corporations.

Leading a small IT company without deep technical expertise was, at times, a clear disadvantage and a source of understandable apprehension. But as a family, we learned together.

My son, while technically strong, initially lacked the relationship and sales skills that only experience can teach. Each day, we set aside time to review what had happened and consider how we could improve—adjusting both our thinking and our behavior.

Over time, that discipline paid off. Today, I would place him among the strongest small business IT leaders in the Twin Cities.

For me, these past 20 years have been about more than business. They have allowed me to redefine my identity—shifting the center of gravity from work to family.

In semi-retirement, my focus is now on supporting the success, well-being, and life satisfaction of those closest to me.

Lessons Learned

1) The transition from corporate leader to entrepreneur is like a domesticated pet becoming a wild animal.
It is survival of the fittest—favoring those who are nimble, resilient, and willing to do whatever it takes to survive and prosper.

Just two months after acquiring our company, my mother passed away. I spent six months in Florida settling her estate, assuming I could largely step away from the business during that time.

I was wrong.

Debt grew quickly, revenues lagged, and I returned to a significant financial challenge. It was a hard lesson: when you take ownership of a small business—especially in the early years—it must command your full attention and commitment.

2) In our business, it is all about family.
Over time, I have passed leadership to my son, who now leads operations and sales, and my daughter, who leads finance and marketing.

Today, I spend about 20% of my time involved in the business—and could not be more satisfied with where life has taken me.

Now in my early 80s, I am free to allocate my time across work, learning, giving, health, and leisure in a more balanced way.

As my good friend George Dow describes it, I am living a “portfolio life.”

And life is good.

What Mike referenced as a “portfolio life” is something I see increasingly among leaders who have successfully navigated this transition: a purposeful blend of work in the form they prefer, family engagement, learning, giving, healthy living and leisure. It represents not an end, but a reallocation of focus. This article is the first in a series of conversations with executives and entrepreneurs who are working through that shift—and who offer valuable insight into what it means to build a meaningful life after the corner office.