From $346K in Finance to Startup Founder: A Career Pivot

Sarah Guller walked away from a lucrative role in growth equity to launch Forta, a performance-focused makeup brand. Despite trading a six-figure salary for the volatility of entrepreneurship, the 25-year-old Stanford graduate says the shift was necessary to escape a cycle of professional burnout and reclaim her autonomy.

Guller’s path to the boardroom began at 17 when she entered Stanford. By 2022, she had secured a position at a Boston-based growth equity firm, a rare feat for a recent graduate. While the role offered prestige and a $346,000 salary, the reality was a grueling schedule that left no room for personal health. She describes the period as a silent struggle marked by exhaustion, hair loss, and a total loss of work-life balance.

The idea for Forta emerged from a partnership with a WNBA-playing friend who struggled to keep makeup intact during games. Recognizing a gap in the market for performance-driven beauty products, Guller eventually broke free from what she calls her "golden handcuffs." Eight months ago, she quit her firm to commit full-time to the venture, utilizing personal savings and a friends-and-family funding round to cover initial costs like the $17,000 minimum order quantity for inventory.

Now working hours comparable to her time in private equity but for a fraction of the pay, Guller has traded designer shopping and dining out for a leaner lifestyle. She acknowledges the inherent privilege that allows her to gamble on a startup without a safety net, yet she remains firm in her decision. For Guller, the risk of failure is preferable to the long-term regret of remaining in a high-paying corporate environment that left her unfulfilled.