Lying on the beach

• “Why do I still have to suck up to my customers?” • “Why does the second-generation client of mine not give me preferential treatment the way their parents do?”

• “Have they forgotten that I helped their dad grow their business?”

• “Why do some of these young people disrespect me and treat me like dirt?”

• “Now that they have grown big and some other suppliers come and offer the same products and services, they drop us like a hot potato.”

• “Why should I still work like a horse when all the money I have made and the investments I have kept can last me and my children the rest of their lives? • “I want to sell my business!” • “I want to close down my business!”

• “Why would you sell the business, cash out and spend good and great days, enjoying life in a beach somewhere than to have to wake up every morning, drag myself up from bed, go to the office and then repeat all the things I just told you?”

These are very common questions and sentiments I have heard from my friends and clients that are in a very crucial stage of difficulty in their personal and business life.

I have had successful business person approach me with this sentiment and honestly, I do not know what I can do for them or what they really want from me. But curiously and to the best of my memory, this is a paraphrased version of the conversation that took place in my favorite restaurant in Makati.

After listening to him and his tale I asked questions and the following conversation took place:

“So, can I be frank and honest with you? Let me see if I get you correctly. You want to sell your business. With the money you have you can adequately provide for yourself and your children anyway, right?” He said, “Right.” “So, once you cash out you would love to see yourself lying in a beach chair, sipping margarita, enjoying the scene, basking in the tranquility of the ocean without a care in the world, right? He answered, “Yes!”

As I shook my head which caught his curiosity, he said, “Why? Do you think I am wrong?”

I looked at him straight into his eyes and I said, “What you want is not a vision. Neither is it a goal nor a dream. What you want is a travel poster with the headline that says, “It’s more fun in the Philippines…or Maldives...or the Bahamas.”

This businessman started laughing. He is after all a very intelligent person.

I told him, “Try doing that, sit down on a beach chair. Drink your margarita. Do this for five days and you will puke to death. As a matter of fact, that would kill you!”

Then, he looked at me and said, “So what do you think is happening to me?”

I said, “You are not fed up; you are not depressed. You are merely exhausted. You do not need to retire. You do not need to close your shop. You need a vacation. A real honest-to-goodness break to recover and pull your act together, and then do your business. You also need to get professional people and empower them to help you do and grow your business. Take a meaningful look at how many families of your employees benefit from your every decision. You want to be more creative and believe me, when you are tired and exhausted, anger replaces creativity. Depression replaces positivity and you would stress yourself and others in the process.”

Many successful business people are now in the state of exhaustion.

They face multiple challenges that their money would not solve. Here are the following reasons: 1. The kids do not want to help out in the business. 2. Technology disrupts their business and they are not prepared for this.

3. Never invested in training and their people now may be old in service but perhaps incompetent with facing new challenges.

These things are huge enough to make one depressed, exhausted and feel like giving up. Others go through worst situations: they get sick and battle with anxiety and panic attacks. They do not show this in public as they try to be strong but deep inside, these haunting thoughts and gnawing concerns may work like termites slowly biting and eating up their fighting spirit.

Take a break. Get a vacation. You cannot be creative when you are exhausted. You’ve got money anyway, so try to get good advice and seek good mentors. Get professional people to help you with your business. Inspire your kids and do not force them with the “obligation” to help you with it. When they are inspired, the day would come when they would offer to help.

Look for ways to bring back the fire you had when you started your business. You have money so use it this time and do not let it use you. Money is a good resource that is not intended to be hoarded but to be used productively in achieving greater and more meaningful success.

Somebody said that money behaves like manure...keep it all together and it stinks but when you know how to use it and spread it productively it behaves like fertilizer. Which brings me to one last piece of advice: Don’t look at too many travel posters.

(Join me for a whole-day learning event this Nov. 9, 2018 as I present a program entitled: “Culture of Personal Excellence from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the beautiful Santolan Town Plaza, Little Baguio, San Juan City. Limited seats are available. For further inquiries contact April at +63928-559-1798 or register online at www. successoptionsinc.com/cpe)