# 19 Years Independent: Pellegrino Riccardi on Leaving Corporate

> Episode 1 of [Your Second Curve — the podcast](https://yoursecondcurve.com/podcast/), hosted by Dr Arnd Halbach. An interview-led podcast with Dr Arnd Halbach for people in the second half of their career going independent or starting a second career.

- Published: 16 October 2026
- Length: 38 min
- Page: https://yoursecondcurve.com/podcast/episodes/19-years-independent-pellegrino-riccardi-on-leaving-9b615e6f/
- Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvn3Xjq5MDk (139 views, rated 5.0 out of 5 by 7 viewers)

**What does it really take to leave a corporate career and go independent?**

Pellegrino Riccardi, award winning TEDx speaker and cross-cultural expert, did it in 2007 with no business plan and a family to support. Nineteen years later, the phone is still ringing.

In the first episode of Your Second Curve, Dr. Arnd Halbach, author of Your Second Curve, talks with Pellegrino about the scary first years of self employment, why he never started a company and still works alone as a sole trader, and how he built a speaking business on word of mouth. They also cover how AI is changing work, what people leaving senior corporate roles need to relearn, and his advice for anyone in their late 40s or 50s thinking about starting their own business or a second career.