The Great Office Escape was originally founded by Mike Lazear in 2007 as a haven for those who were dissatisfied with their professional lives and with office culture.

Mike is a web developer, blogger, and advocate for those who are working toward a professional life full of passion, freedom, creativity and purpose.  He created the Five Stages of Professional Development as a guide and benchmark for those who are seeking to reach the most fulfilling levels of their professional potential.

Currently Mike lives in Portland, Oregon and is working on transforming The Great Office Escape from a blog into a full-fledged support, news and information network for the professionally discouraged.