Mumbai woman explains why she quit JP Morgan job: ‘I saved aggressively before leaving’
A Mumbai woman who quit her comfortable and well-paying job at JP Morgan to focus on content creation has opened up about her journey. In a conversation with HT.com, Vanshika Khurana spoke about her time at the investment bank and her foray into content creation.
Vanshika has over 1.3 million followers on Instagram (where she goes by the handle @fit.khurana). Hitting the 1 million followers milestone happened in the middle of 2025 — just as she decided to leave her job as an analyst at JP Morgan.
Childhood and education
Vanshika, 24, told HT.com that she was born and raised in Mumbai. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from HR College of Commerce & Economics in Mumbai, she landed her first job in 2022.
“I graduated in 2022 with a degree in accounting and finance. Right after college, I got placed at a financial services firm where I worked in private equity. I worked for the next one-and-a-half years,” she explained.
Vanshika’s content creation journey when she was still in college. During college, she managed to gain around 30,000 followers.
However, at her first job, the hours were long and the environment was toxic. Vanshika said she worked 12 hours a day, and it took a toll on her mental health. “I was burnt out and I wanted to move out,” she said.
At the same time, she found herself with little time for content creation and her follower count began to drop.
(Also read: YouTuber Logesh Kumaar quits full-time content creation, returns to regular 9 to 5 job)
Switching to JP Morgan
In August 2023, she applied to JP Morgan and got through. It was a job switch that worked wonders for her mental health, even though it meant commuting for more than three hours daily.
“I stayed there for two years and touchwood, the work-life balance was really good. The exposure was really good. I enjoyed the work as well,” Vanshika told HT.com.
Salary and life at JP Morgan
Vanshika joined JP Morgan as an analyst in August 2023. She declined to reveal her salary, but confirmed that she was earning more than ₹12 lakh per annum.
More than the money, it was the work-life balance she enjoyed.
“At my first job, the work-life balance was not good, so I wasn’t consistent with content creation. I even lost followers.When I joined JP, the work-life balance was good. I had Saturdays and Sundays for myself,” she said.
The Mumbai woman worked London hours — which meant that she would reach office around 1.30 pm and stay till 10.30 in the night.
“I was travelling from Thane to Goregaon almost every single day. The journey took one-and-a-half to two hours one way,” she said.
Despite the long commute, she did not waste time. In fact, she utilised it for her side hustle as a fitness influencer.
“I would shoot things on Saturdays and Sundays and edit while commuting. I would schedule my post before reaching office so it would automatically go live at 6 pm,” Vanshika said. “While coming back, I would engage on the reel and answer DMs.”
Saving up to quit
When her follower count hit 500,000, Vanshika knew she wanted to get into content creation full time. However, she did not quit overnight. Instead, she planned and saved aggressively for months, so she could afford a career break.
As she was living with her parents, she did not have to pay rent.
“I was saving aggressively because I was living with my parents and had no rent expenses. By the time I left, I had enough corpus to fund myself for the next two years,” she explained.
Every month, Vanshika managed to save at least 50% of her salary. She knew it was something she had to do if she wanted to focus on content creation, where income can vary widely from month to month.
In July 2025, she handed in her notice and left JP Morgan to become a full-time fitness influencer.
Her work as a fitness influencer
In the last few months, Vanshika has been able to devote more time and resources to content creation. She no longer has to plan her day around her job.
“Now I have flexibility. Some days I start at 12 pm and end at 1 am. I can take my mom out on a café date on a Wednesday and work on Sunday,” she said.
Her earnings have shot up to. Some months, she earns almost double her monthly salary at JP Morgan, Vanshika told HT.com.
But while her income has increased, the fitness influencer is also busier than she was at the investment firm.
(Also read: ‘Disillusioned’ Indian man quits JPMorgan job and takes 70% pay cut: ‘Success isn’t big paychecks’)
“I feel it has been a lot busier after JP Morgan because I’m not just working on content creation. I’m working on hiring a team, and I’m in the process of building a brand. I’m also thinking about other digital products, so I’m working on that,” the 24-year-old said. “I’ve expanded into YouTube as well, so long-form scripting is going on there. I’m also working on LinkedIn. So a couple of things have come up after I quit JP Morgan.”
Managing money
As someone who has worked in finance, Vanshika knows full well the importance of saving money for a rainy day. While she was still at JP Morgan, she diversified her portfolio by putting some amount in fixed deposits and doing mutual funds SIPs.
“Majorly, it was SIPs and a certain portion in fixed deposits. I was investing in direct stocks too,” she explained.
Asked if she has any advice for people who want to quit their jobs, she again emphasized the importance of saving.
“On social media, everyone says quit your 9-to-5 and pursue your passion, but that’s not a wise approach,” she said.
“I didn’t have the privilege of my parents funding me. I saved up, sacrificed a lot for two years, and worked on Saturdays and Sundays. People need to figure out a roadmap and see what they’re willing to sacrifice.”
