When people go into business for themselves, they frequently choose the solo version of what they were already doing. So someone who works for a law firm will open a private practice, and someone who works for a clothing label will become a designer.

Then there are those who turn their backs on all their years of hard work. "I'm not doing that anymore," they say. "I'm becoming a magician." And with that, the transition from working stiff to living off a hobby is born.

The transition is rarely easy, and many who leave the workforce to pursue a hobby for profit often end up with nothing but humiliation and maxed out credit cards to show for it. But a select few have left traditional jobs to do something they had previously only done for fun, and found success.

CNBC.com spoke with people who made this transition. Read ahead to find out who they are.

—By CNBC's Daniel Bukszpan
Posted 28 Jan. 2014

Tuesday nights have more bite with back-to-back episodes of "Shark Tank" on CNBC.

Eric Kami was an account manager for Google's Large Customer Sales team. He confirms all the rumors about Google being a great place to work. But he quit to pursue a pastime that mattered to him—gifting socks.

"Gifting socks had been something my partner Daniel and I had been doing for years," he said. "We felt ready to share our passion with the world." With that, Sockscribe Me, a monthly sock subscription service was born.

The company is going strong today, thanks to an engaged following. But what kind of people want wacky socks with hamburgers or penguins sent to them every month?

"We've found that people of all genders, ages, and backgrounds are equally as obsessed with getting fun socks as we are," he said.

Todd Ford was an airline pilot whose work took him around the world. A trip to the West Coast led him to sample the wares of the craft beer movement and inspired him to brew his own. In 2010, he and his wife, Suzie, decided they could do it just as well, and founded NoDa Brewing in Charlotte, N.C.

"We opened our doors on October 29, 2011, to a line out the front door, and throughout the day had around 1,000 patrons stop in for a beer," she said. "We have had five expansions since opening that have been funded organically through cash flow instead of taking on debt."

Teajai "Annique" Kimsey owned a Web development company. She had always sewn since childhood, so when her daughter's cheerleading team wanted replica uniforms for American Girl dolls, she was the natural choice to make them. Other parents kept asking her about the uniforms, so she kept making them.

"I thought maybe it would be something to do for fun," she said. "In September, things started really taking off, and by the end of October I could tell this wasn't a hobby any longer." With that, she founded Annique's Nook .

"We are in the black, and I'm looking at moving into a retail space within the next 30 days," she said. "I get a lot of encouragement from the photos of all the smiling happy girls who get the uniforms."

Milo Shapiro was a computer programmer with a steady paycheck and benefits. He was also miserable and often thought back to an experience he'd had years ago.

"I first saw improv on stage in 1990 and immediately sought out a class," he said. "I knew from five minutes into the show that this was what I was supposed to be doing." He founded IMPROVentures, a company that conducts teambuilding exercises through improvisational theater.

"It was hard to stay motivated on the day-job ... and I had to check my personality at the door," he said. "Now, being myself is not just a benefit; it's my calling card."

Laura J. Benson was dissatisfied and bored as an attorney.

"I couldn't stand being a lawyer," she said. "My gray cube felt like a prison."

On a trip to France, she became infatuated with "market baskets," the ecofriendly choice of French grocery shoppers. She decided to make her own and founded Jeanne Beatrice.

"I self-financed and have been in the black since the second year," she said. "It grows a little every year. I currently sell to about 200 retail shops around the U.S., as well as online. ... Gross for 2013 was up 30 percent over 2012, and I expect similar growth for 2014. ... I love what I do and do not consider it work."

Gary Colabuono loved his job at the Daily Herald in Illinois. He also loved comics, so he opened Moondog's comic book store in 1978 and juggled both for as long as he could.

"I was buying and selling comics as a hobbyist since my high school years," he said. "I felt it could be a viable business because I knew there were a lot of guys like me out there." So in 1981 he quit his job to sell comics full time, and the business eventually grew to six retail locations and one wholesale division.

After many successful years, he sold the business in 1994 for $2 million. Now retired, he helps comic book collectors sell off their treasures.

Stephanie King-Myers was brand manager for a global network of luxury spas. Ninety-hour work weeks were common, and she only earned $55,000 a year. Then the recession hit, and she was laid off, so she had the time to pursue her favorite pastime, painting.

"My best friend came over and my husband and I convinced her that she could paint with the right instruction and liquid encouragement," she said. "I realized it could be a business."

She founded Bottle & Bottega , a place to drink wine and make paintings. The first location opened in Chicago in March 2011 and the company began franchising eight months later. Today the company has 12 employees, over 30 instructors and 10 franchisees. "It has been such a wonderful ride and I wouldn't trade it for the world," she said.

Susie Danick was a registered nurse with an art and design background. In 2000 she helped her grandmother move into an assisted living community. In addition to organizing her grandmother's belongings, she made the design of the new residence resemble that of the old one. Families saw her handiwork and asked if she could offer the same service for their loved ones, and TAD Relocation was born. Fourteen years later, it has completed over 4,000 moves and employs more than 25 people.

"Making move day a good experience is essential in helping a senior acclimate to his or her new community," she said. "To walk into the apartment and have everything unpacked and set up for them on day one is huge. They can immediately enjoy their new home, meet new friends and enjoy being part of the community."

Tuesday nights have more bite with back-to-back episodes of "Shark Tank" on CNBC. The business-themed reality series features the sharks—tough, self-made multimillionaire and billionaire tycoons—who give budding entrepreneurs the chance to make their dreams come true and secure deals that could make them millionaires.