This is typically where most authors and bloggers rant and rave about their experience and education, using both to justify their credibility. But there’s a downside to that. If the writer’s background is in an industry or profession that’s significantly different from the reader’s, their thoughts and suggestions may not receive the attention they deserve. It’s a fine line, and I’ve seen it go both ways.
So instead, let’s do this . . .
I can tell you as a young man, I earned degrees in engineering and business, believing if I followed the traditional route of getting an advanced education, found the right company to work for, then dedicated myself to career advancement, I’d be secure, comfortable, and yes . . . even happy.
But after spending fourteen years in the corporate world, I found myself miserably successful.
The reasons were simple. I wanted my own business. I wanted to be my own boss. So in August of 1987, I cut the corporate umbilical to become a full-time entrepreneur. Since then, I’ve worked as a business consultant as well as starting several businesses from scratch, building them into successful income-producing companies and selling them for a profit.
I believe the most important thing I can tell you is that I work for a living.
I make my livelihood from my daily business activities. And while I’ve been a professional speaker, writer, and seminar presenter, my living—my financial independence—comes from serving customers, battling the competition, and constantly striving to do it all in a better way.
Anyone who has lived beyond the age of thirty will tell you that life is not predictable. Day-to-day living brings unexpected change. We start new jobs. We begin new relationships. Our connections with the past break or fade away. The very foundation of our lives can change with the sunrise. And yet, when the worst of life hits the hardest, we sometimes forget we have choices.
Those choices are what this site is all about.
In my previous blog and newsletter, I was all about the business of making money—measuring success by the bottom line. My targeted audience was exclusively entrepreneurs, and I preached market share, marketing, and small business success.
That was several years ago, and while I enjoyed the experience, I decided it was time to move on, to take a different route. Lots of things have happened to move me in this direction, which is a definite tip-off that my motivations are personal.
What you read here comes from my own experience, offered with the hope that it will help you avoid the inevitable piles of garbage that litter the road of life. Many of those experiences can be found in my books, Better Mondays and Speak Up. Both are available from Amazon.
As mentioned above, I welcome your feedback and want to hear your comments and questions.
Looking forward to the Journey . . .
Roger Reid | Success Point 360
