These aren't feel-good transformation stories or lifestyle porn for the privileged—they're honest looks at what happens when you hit bottom and choose to dig up instead of down. We film in workshops at 5am, in unemployment offices, at kitchen tables covered in unpaid bills. We ask the questions that matter: How do you pay rent when your first year revenue is $18,000? What do you miss about your old life? How many times did you almost go back? And what about the ones who did go back? What can they teach us about the real cost of chasing authenticity?

When everyone's questioning whether the corporate ladder is worth the climb, we hear from those who actually jumped off.

More than 47 million Americans quit their jobs in 2021—so many that it earned the name "Great Resignation." While the peak has passed, the underlying crisis hasn't: 67% of workers feel disengaged, and 49% plan to leave their current job. Microsoft found 48% of employees are burned out at work.

Meanwhile, the handmade economy is booming. The global crafts market is estimated at over $906 billion in 2025 as people seek alternatives to corporate life.

But here's what these statistics don't show: 1 in 5 businesses fail within their first 5 years of operation, the hidden costs of health insurance when you're self-employed, the reality that "following your passion" often means working 70-hour weeks for less than minimum wage.

These aren't pandemic pivots. These people were questioning everything before 2020. The pandemic just gave them permission to jump. Their stories offer something more valuable than inspiration: proof it's possible to build a life around what matters to you, and honest accounting of what it actually costs.

The next generation is watching their elders burn out in jobs that pay well but cost everything else. They need more than feel-good stories. They need grit and gore from people who've walked the path and can tell you where the rocks are. PROJECT: WORKSHOP shows them it's not easy but, for some, it's possible.

• Former professionals from diverse backgrounds (corporate, healthcare, education, service industry, trades—whatever paid the bills but sucked the soul) who hit their breaking point

• Now working with their hands in sustainable trades at various stages of success. Some thriving, some struggling, some who tried and had to return to traditional work

• Articulate about their journey; willing to share financial realities alongside emotional truths

• Engaged in crafts that tell stories through process (woodworking, ceramics, metalwork, textiles, food artistry, brewing, leather work, etc.)

• Representative of different economic starting points and not just executives with golden parachutes

• The moment they couldn't take it anymore

• Real numbers: What they left behind financially and what they're making now

• The learning curve: community college classes, YouTube tutorials, failed attempts

• Business reality: customer acquisition, pricing struggles, seasonal fluctuations

• What fulfillment looks like when you're worried about health insurance

• The relationship cost: partners who supported the dream and those who couldn't handle the financial strain. Conversely, the effects of the emotional rift created through complacency and stagnancy 

• The ones who went back: what made them return to traditional work, whether they see it as failure or wisdom

• The ones who failed completely: what they lost and whether they regret trying

• What We Ask:

  1. 3-4 filming days spread over 2-3 months

  2. Access to your workspace and creative process

  3. Candid interviews about your journey, including financial realities

  4. Permission to film moments of struggle alongside success

  5. Introduction to family/friends who supported (or questioned) your transition

• What We Provide:

  1. Professional production that honors your story without exploitation

  2. All necessary releases and legal documentation

  3. Final episode file for your personal use