I left a very secure corporate job in 1996 to trade. I took a leave under FMLA. I had traded for a year or so with real $$ prior to the FMLA. It's been 15+ years since then. Still trading. Each year gets better. Hard work to reach success. Success is different to each individual. Making a ton of $$$ doesn't mean happiness. Life is a journey, not a destination.
I was let go December 31, 1985 at 4:15, 3 months after I was married, 24 years old. Happy New Year! I was a broker on the floor of the AMEX. My intention was to trade, but for someone else, not myself. I couldn't not find a job, so in February, I borrowed the minimum back then to open a market maker account and become a broker dealer, $25K. This was a lot of money in 1985. I started in XMI scalping. My hands would sweat from the fear of loosing the money I borrowed, every day! I made a little money every month for around 6 months, then I started to relax, trade equity options, rather then the index, and I starting making a good living. I returned the $25K that November, and bought an AMEX Options Permit, that was convertible into a Membership. I owned that membership until just before the AMEX was bought by the NYSE. I stopped trading in 2010. Being fired was the best think for me. Who knew.
Aside from working in a telecommunications store a couple of years during my high school years, I have never had another "real" job... I deliberately did not attend university, thus allowing me to focus all my energy on becoming a trader...