Vulnerability Post

This is in response to a post I saw today about taking a risk in your business.  I wanted to tell my story, my hope is that this helps someone out there to take a risk, with persistence, tenacity and hard work you can achieve beyond what others think of you. 

You only live once, do it.

My world came crumbling down before my very own eyes when a partner company I had served for 17 years got bought out by a private equity firm and everything CHANGED.

If you asked my naïve self before that takeover I would have proudly proclaimed that I would have stayed there until I retired, without reservation.

However, this is NOT what was in store for me, the livelihood I created was no longer a reality and it was worsening rapidly.

Each day that passed became more AWFUL and MISERABLE than the day before. Meetings were filled with more rounds of firing, tears, heartache, worries about paying bills, anger, frustration, demotivation and depression. 

In this unique experience, it was all about PROFIT and PEOPLE were seen as commodities that could be thrown away when we were no longer convenient, essentially like TRASH. 

You see, I have a higher purpose in life when it comes to my occupation, it’s much more than just making money, its about humans helping other humans.

Working to simply make money (without a moral purpose) is my definition of HELL I mean how empty of existence is that?

I attempt to live a life about SERVICE and if I do this with a pure heart profit will inevitably follow. I am not saying money is not important, it’s just not the most important thing to me.

I am pretty resilient but I simply I could not take it anymore, I needed to take control of my own destiny.

So, at ripe age of 43 years, I reinvented myself with two small girls one in diapers and a wife that wanted to stop working and stay at home to take care of them.

We decided to hit the reset button, HARD.

The house I was living in was no longer affordable, so we sold it and lived in a smaller more cost effective house in the country for $84,000 and saying it was a fixer upper is a gross understatement.  We got a great deal on the house which only had one bathroom at the time and the kitchen had no fridge or sink. One night I remember us doing the dishes in the bathtub; humbling.

My wife and I not only took on the huge task of fixing and living in that little farm house, I started my business all over from the ground up one client at a time with a new collection agency partner. I did not know it then, I was too angry and bitter but now I look back, that company mistreating me was HELPING ME to become much more than what I ever thought I could be.

Fast forward years later and I realize its one of the BEST THINGS that has ever happened to me.

We sold that house for $140,000 and used the profit as a down payment for our new house. Now that little ugly green house is worth $257,200, we created that value, how unbelievably satisfying!

My new house is twice as big and has a swimming pool! I never thought I would have it this good, never even in my dreams.

I have a happier life, a happier wife and make three times what I did in my best years back then and have grown professionally and personally more in a few years that I did for all those years in the past.

Sometimes the universe has a different plan for you, we are not always in control, its adapt or die. I now know the real purpose of having an arch enemy, it made me determined to control my own fate, out work my competitors and enabled me to have the drive and stamina to succeed at all costs. 

Failing was simply NOT AN OPTION.

I questioned whether it prudent to bare my soul to all of your today but I wanted my dental peeps to know my WHY in helping independent dental offices THRIVE and CONQUER, it has nothing to do with MONEY, it's about helping real people achieve happiness in their professional lives.

I appreciate all of you, without YOU none of this would be possible.

If this just helps one person today my job is done.

Most Humbly Yours,

Andy