It’s Valentine’s Day weekend–a good time to be grateful for the people and things we love. For me, that starts with my family: my wonderful wife Lauri and our son and daughter. But I’m not shy about saying how much I love my work, too. After all, in today’s world, being able to do what you love seems to be a pretty rare blessing. In honor of Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d share what I love most about what I do, in the hope that I can inspire you to find work you love.
I Love the Freedom
More than anything else, I love the freedom of being my own boss and pursuing my dreams without limits. I don’t need anyone else’s permission to go after a new goal, change direction if things aren’t working, or adjust my schedule to fit my priorities. I work when and where I choose–and because I love what I do, I enjoy the time I spend working.
Moreover, my work is the only limit on my reward. No salary ranges or commission caps: any increase in my activity directly benefits my bottom line. If want to do more or earn more, I’m free to make it happen–either by putting in more hours, if I think that’s a worthwhile tradeoff, or by increasing the efficiency of my processes in whatever way works for me.
I Love the Opportunity
Bosses don’t always appreciate ambition. Some are afraid of being upstaged by subordinates, or of losing ambitious employees to competitors or other departments. And some are simply unable to provide the opportunity you crave, perhaps because of resource constraints or a company culture they didn’t create.
Franchisors, however, love ambition. They succeed when their franchisees succeed, and they know it. They don’t place limits on how many customers you can serve or how much revenue you can make. If a territory is available and you have the funds and track record to prove you can handle it, you can buy it. In other words, franchising is full of opportunity–I love that feeling.
I Love Connecting
Whether through my franchises or my consulting business, I love that my work continually provides opportunity for connection. I talk to dozens of people every week, from all over the country. So many of them have fascinating stories: from the military wife setting up her salon in one of my locations, to the brand-new franchisee looking for advice, to the longtime executive who’s lived all over the world and is ready to put down some roots. Both franchising and consulting have brought, and continue to bring, me into contact with amazing people whose varied perspectives enrich my life.
I Love Mentoring
I’ve mentioned before that mentoring is my favorite part of leadership and entrepreneurship. When I was an executive, I loved providing opportunities for my employees to reach their full potential. Now, as a franchise owner and consultant, I have even more opportunity to mentor others. My role as a franchise owner brings me into contact with new franchisees who need advice and support. I get to listen to them, encourage them, and use my experience to help them succeed in a new venture. As a consultant, I get to help corporate executives change their perspective on the relationship between life and work. Many of them have never considered entrepreneurship before but know that there must be something more fulfilling out there. It’s exciting to help someone open up their horizons like that!
I Love the Security
When it comes to risk, I have a middle-of-the-road mindset. I’ve been in business long enough that I feel I can trust my gut, and I know that risk is often the road to big reward. But I like my risks to be calculated risks–I’m willing to make big changes, but I like to see some data to back up the business case.
That’s one thing I love about franchising. As with any form of entrepreneurship, it involves risk, but I’m not flying blind. Thanks to the business system created and tested by the franchisor, I don’t have to start from square one and go through all the trial and error experienced by a traditional entrepreneur. Yet I still have access to the rewards of business ownership: the freedom of controlling my own schedule, the ability to grow as I want, and the opportunity to create a legacy for my family.
Do you love what you do? If not, maybe it’s time to book a call with me. I can help you figure out what’s missing and, more than that, I can help you find it. Your work should be rewarding–not just financially, but mentally and emotionally, too. Don’t waste another day doing something you don’t love!
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