Re: "Fuzzy subject" graduate has an epiphany
An enormous amount of entrepreneurism is simply deciding to make the jump. To risk climbing out of the rut. If you're a writer, you make the jump by finally deciding to start submitting your work. Believe me, it ain't easy. It was also not easy to quit a steady job and move from the Midwest to California to try to start a rocket company.
A lot of entrepreneurs I've studied seemed to move from their childhood directly into business, having developed no real solid career up until then. Some, like your teacher example, pulled up stakes and made new starts.
It would be educational to find out exactly what process that history teacher went through. Is he a semi-public figure whose name or company name you could give?