My Reinvention - The Short Version
Part I- Beginning A Reinvention
The Short Version:
- I (along with a partner) bought the company I worked for.
- It had 13 employees and did business in 1 state.
- I grew it to 55 employees and 24 states.
- I increased revenue by 495%.
- I had a payroll of well over a million dollars each year.
- I sold the company to a much larger, publicly-traded firm.
- It starts to go all wrong.
- The Buyer company missed its first note payment.
- Within a year the Buyer went bankrupt.
- No more payments to my partner and me and 26,000 other creditors. The Buyer had debts of almost $500 million (that’s $500,000,000!).
- I pick myself up by my bootstraps, don’t look back and start another company in same line of work.
- I get a business coach who helps me with business building, organizational and focus issues.
- My business putters along, dragging me with it.
- What my coach really helps me with: discovering I thoroughly dislike what I’m doing.
- What I do as a result of working with my coach: shutter my business.
I had been the perfect example of what James Hollis says in Finding Meaning In The Second Half of Life:
We may choose careers, but we do not choose vocation. Vocation chooses us….In the first half of life there is a place for ambition, for the driving powers of ego, which compel us to overthrow our fears and step into the world.
When I began my now-shuttered business, I did it without thinking about vocation. I was just continuing a career — what was there to think about? It was a career that no longer served me. And, if I wasn’t happy, surely I couldn’t make the people around me happy — that includes family, friends, and most especially clients or employees!
One of the many things I learned is that I felt imprisoned by all those commas and zeros — it didn’t give me the joy I was seeking. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely like creating revenue, and lots of it! But, I found, in the second half of my life, there must be a more compelling reason.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
WOW!! My story is nothing compared to yours, but I’ll share it anyways.
With the down turn of the mortgage business over the last several years, I have also been forced to find a new career. Since I was laid off in 2007, I’ve had to work jobs that were not meaningful and were sucking the life out of me daily. I’m in my mid 30′s, but found myself shortly after the layoff preparing for a changing moment. I knew too that there must be a more compelling reason and am slowing making this dream a reality. Hopefully the $$$ will follow.
Patrenia, Your story is just as compelling! It’s all relative. I love how you put it: “preparing for a changing moment.” You’re a perfect example of how midlife is just a mindset. With a plan and execution, you will make your dream a reality! Thanks for sharing your reinvention story.
Confucius knew what he was talking about…
Sometimes it takes a while to discover just what it is you love doing, and being able to make a living at it is an important part of a balanced life, I think.
Exactly, Blaine! Most days it doesn’t feel like work!
Wow, what a candid rendition of your reinvention! Thank you so much for being open enough to share your personal story with us! What I got from this post is;
1. Do what you love, it will benefit you and those around you.
2. You don’t have be stuck in a position that doesn’t make you happy.
3. If you do what you love, you have joy and happiness in your life.
Thanks Lisa!
Lisa,
Thank you for sharing. As we get older, we get smarter – it is key to do what you love – makes all the difference in the world. Money will follow. cb
I did stick my neck out on this one! Doing what you love is paramount. Just as important is creating and executing a plan to get to where you want.