Having spent a lifetime in a formal advertising agency environment (and always wanting to go solo), I can't believe how close the solo dream is to reality. It is true that I have had opportunities and gained "big brands" experience that I may not have had access to as a creative with a small reach. Even so, being mindful of my gains, I am so grateful that I have made this change. I am a much happier and fulfilled person, with the mental clarity and focus I was always striving for but never quite managed to achieve in an office setting with constant interruptions. Initially it felt strange and alone to work mostly on my own (meetings are a Skype thing now), but that soon became my norm and now I would struggle to go back to the frenetic agency environment. I am massively more creative, infinitely more productive and I never seem to stop learning. Primarily because I have had to exchange my director role by getting my design hands dirty again, moving in behind my Mac and brushing up on all my digital skills. Now I am not just overseeing creative, I am creating again, and that is really what drew me to this industry in the first place. SO, if you're wondering if you should take the plunge, well ... make sure you start freelancing a little and building up a client base so you don't end up on the street in month one, but don't wait longer than you absolutely have to. "It's later than you think", and I hate to throw in another saying but "jump and the net will appear".