I Quit My Corporate Job to Start a Business. Here's How I Went From Having $35,000 Credit Card Debt to Making $4 Million. Courtney Allen, founder and CEO of presentation design agency 16x9, "recklessly" left corporate life behind in 2015 to pursue entrepreneurship.

This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Courtney Allen. Allen is the founder and CEO of 16x9, a global presentation design agency, and is based in Seoul, Korea. Learn how she turned her freelancing gigs on Upwork into a multimillion-dollar business.

The piece has been edited for length and clarity.

Related: She Quit Her 'Toxic' Job to Pursue a Freelancing Side Hustle. Now She Leads Her Team With Compassion, Makes 6 Figures and Even Bought a House.