Burn the Boats and Storm the Island
Exit cleanly and cut the money ties so the comfort of the old job can't pull you back.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 3
- Confidence
- 82%
Borrowed from Tony Robbins, this framework means committing so fully to the new venture that retreat isn't possible. Porterfield left Tony Robbins in good standing — negotiating work-from-home, then part-time, then a month's notice — but once out, she cut all money ties, refusing contractor work and odd jobs because the steady paycheck was 'very sexy' and would have pulled her back. She also protected her vulnerable dream by telling only three trusted people during the transition. The relationships survive; the financial bridge is burned.
Origin
Porterfield learned 'burn the boats and storm the island' from Tony Robbins and applied it when leaving his company, refusing to become a contractor so the allure of her old paycheck couldn't reel her back.
Core principles
- 01Cut ties financially, not relationally, when you leave.
- 02The allure of a steady paycheck will tempt you back if you leave a bridge open.
- 03Protect your vulnerable dream by telling only a trusted few.
- 04Leave in good standing without burning the relationship.
How to run it
- 1
Tell only a trusted few
Share your plan with a small circle who believe in you no matter what, because during this vulnerable time doubters could talk you out of it.
Pro tip Porterfield told just three people: her future husband, her mother, and her best friend.
Watch out The nosy co-worker doesn't get to hear your plans — not everyone can hold your dream.
- 2
Engineer a graceful exit
Where possible, transition through work-from-home or part-time arrangements and give notice that fits your tenure, preserving the relationship.
Pro tip Porterfield gave a month's notice because she'd been there long enough that training a replacement mattered.
- 3
Cut the money ties
Once you leave, refuse contractor roles, odd jobs, or any financial umbilical cord back to the old employer.
Pro tip Keep the relationship warm but the wallet separate.
Watch out A steady paycheck from the old job is seductive and will keep you from fully committing.
In the wild
Porterfield transitioned to remote, then part-time, gave a month's notice, and left on great terms — but declined every contractor and odd-job offer so no regular paycheck could lure her back to the comfort of corporate.
→ She committed fully to her own business while keeping the relationships intact.
Common mistakes
Keeping a financial umbilical cord
Taking contractor work or odd jobs from the old employer leaves an escape route that the allure of steady money will make you take, stalling the new business.
Telling the wrong people
Sharing a fragile early dream with doubters risks being talked out of it — Porterfield notes she'd have believed anyone who told her it wouldn't work.
Is it for you?
Best for
People leaving a job or role they genuinely valued and could easily be lured back to.
Not ideal for
Anyone without enough runway to survive a full financial break from the old income.
From the transcript
“I had to burn the boats and storm the island another thing I learned from Tony meaning once I let go and and left I…”
“be careful who you tell not everyone could hold your dream”
From the episode
Amy Porterfield: How I Quit My Job and Built a Multi-Million Dollar Business Online, My Step-By-Step Blueprint
Amy Porterfield