In 2010, I was miserable.
After spending more than 30 years building a career in the financial services industry, I started waking up each morning hungry for a change. I longed to do something different, but I was paralyzed by the fear of leaving a career I’d invested so much in. I had a lucrative, prestigious position as a shareholder in a money management firm, and I knew that walking away meant giving all of that up while I figured out what was next.
I longed for my own succession plan.
Then, there came a point when I just knew that I needed to make a change. Although I was still afraid of leaving my career, I was even more scared that I was missing my opportunity to find greater fulfillment. I wanted to be happy! I felt like time was running out, and if I didn’t act soon, I’d always wonder what could have been.
So, following the successful sale of my firm, I made the decision to face my fear. I decided to leave the business. (You can read that story here.)
“I found the courage to hit the ‘refresh’ button on my life!”
Heeding my heart’s call
As I started to plan my exit, I began telling a select few industry pals about what I had in mind. That’s when I realized how typical my story was. When my friends found out that I was leaving my comfortable job to create something brand new, I recognized something familiar in their eyes.
It was longing.
Like me, these industry friends all had something that their hearts were calling out for them to do. Yet they were afraid of walking away from a “sure thing.” Plus, they wrestled with the same itty-bitty committee inside their head that had plagued me for years:
- “What will people think?”
- “Can I afford this?”
- “I’ll be starting over!”
But despite the fear, they had the same longing I knew so well. They felt trapped by their work and wished they could shake things up to find a way to both earn an income and enjoy their lives.
They wanted to be in my shoes.
These conversations not only reaffirmed my decision to face my fears and take the leap, they ignited a fire inside me and gave me purpose.
In fact, they led me directly to the work I do today: helping smart, successful wealth management professionals build an engaging firm culture that supports professional development AND the creation of positive, supportive succession plans.
Making the leap
Facing my fears helped me make the biggest, best change of my life: a career change that has brought me professional and personal fulfillment.
Are your fears holding you back? Share your story! I would love to hear from you and explore whether my signature succession formula can help.
Click here to download our complimentary report- “5 Questions Business Owners Never Ask and Should, to Create a Succession Plan that Works ”
