- Jantsch, 30, is a “former personnel manager turned gardener”, according to her LinkedIn profile.
- She told her followers that she used to make $165,000 a year in HR, but now makes $15 an hour in a nursery.
- She gave three reasons why she made the switch and continues to document the trip on Instagram.
A human resources professional who said she was leaving the tech industry for a career in landscaping – and a huge pay cut – is documenting her new life online.
On Thursday, Mary Jantsch, 30, told her LinkedIn followers to “say hello to Boise’s new gardener” in a post announcing her departure from the corporate world after nine years at various start-ups.
The former human resources manager and pay transparency advocate said she made $165,000 a year during her career as a people manager, but left the corporate world to become independent – and earn $15 an hour.
“My former career centered around pay transparency, so sharing these numbers scares me far less than explaining why I’m making this change,” Jantsch wrote.
She listed three main reasons for the change and invited her followers via Instagram on her journey to becoming a gardener in Boise, Idaho.
Way of life
Jantsch attributed his success in the tech industry to ADHD-fueled hyperfixation on work tasks and “dropping everything else to keep up.” In subsequent Instagram posts, she discussed burnout and struggling to rest before changing careers.
“When I stopped trying to force and figure out my next steps, I realized that the thing that restores me – the earth – is the thing I want to help restore,” Jantsch wrote.
Self-employment
Although she’s still in “the stage of learning things like a sponge,” Jantsch said she plans to eventually own and operate her own landscaping business.
“I volunteered at the botanical garden and worked at a native plant nursery,” the post read. And, Jantsch justifies his $15 hourly pay at the incubator as an investment to learn from the best in the business.
Market need
According to Jantsch, her gardening journey began in 2021 when she moved to Boise and noticed a lack of landscapers who understood drought-tolerant gardens.
“I struggled to find a gardener or landscaper who specializes in maintaining xeriscaped yards and drought-tolerant gardens,” Jantsch wrote. “Fortunately, that meant I had to learn it myself and a fascination kicked in.”
Now his supporters have offered an outpouring of support for the decision.
“I feel so restless and uncertain about my career in tech, and your journey is truly motivating to see,” one commenter wrote.
Jantsch isn’t the only one feeling more at peace after quitting a demanding job. Maggie Perkins, 30, worked as a teacher before leaving education to work at her local Costco. It’s a decision that Perkins says has made her life a whole lot better, Insider reported.
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