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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
My first business \u2014 before I owned the Exit Planning Institute\u00ae (EPI) \u2014 was a landscaping and snow removal business. It was the kind of work where, if you were willing to grind, there was the potential for success. Revenue, sales, hiring\/firing, even jumping in a plow myself \u2014 my name was on the side of the truck, so it felt like the business deserved my 24\/7\/365 focus.<\/p>\n
Not surprisingly, that eventually led to burnout.<\/p>\n
When I went to sell my business, I realized I had created a business that became my personal purpose, rather than a vehicle for it. Instead of relying on my business to bring me fulfillment, freedom and financial gain, it simply brought me cash flow.<\/p>\n
When potential buyers looked at my business, they didn\u2019t see a path to a better life. They saw a job. And no buyer wants to buy a job.<\/p>\n
This time around, I\u2019m doing things better and smarter, building a more significant company as a result. What changed? I started with myself: reflecting on my personal purpose and how to leverage it for professional impact. My personal purpose is to create unique experiences for the people around me. Understanding that has reinvented not only my personal life, but also my professional life. Now, I live my personal purpose by focusing on my company\u2019s culture, creating a business where people want to stay and thrive.<\/p>\n
Entrepreneurs should prioritize a personal plan for three key reasons:<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t realize how much of my self-worth was tied to work. If things were up, I felt confident. If they weren\u2019t, I questioned everything. What I\u2019ve come to understand is how easy it is \u2014 even as a leader\u2014 to operate from a place of doubt and not even recognize it. Getting clear on my purpose and the values behind it gave me something more stable to measure against. Instead of making decisions out of fear or insecurity, I started making them based on what actually aligns with who I am. That shift has done more for my confidence than any external win ever did \u2014 and my team at work is better for it.<\/p>\n
When I lacked a clear sense of purpose, leadership felt burdensome. I held onto things too tightly. I took challenges more personally. And if I\u2019m being honest, I measured my success too much by how others responded to me. As I\u2019ve gotten clearer on what drives me, I\u2019ve become more comfortable not having all the answers. I delegate more. I collaborate more. I don\u2019t feel the need to prove myself in every moment. Instead, I can focus on setting direction and trusting the team. As I\u2019ve trusted the team, I\u2019ve created value in my business since I\u2019m not the only driver of success.<\/p>\n
I used to assume that one day, after the next milestone, the next phase, the eventual \u201cexit,\u201d I\u2019d have time to focus on everything else: relationships, experiences, the life outside of work. But I\u2019ve realized that doesn\u2019t just magically come together at the end. If I don\u2019t invest in those things now, they may not be there waiting for me later. Thinking about life beyond work has changed how I spend my time today. It\u2019s made me more intentional about relationships, balance, and building something meaningful \u2014 not someday, but in real time. My conversations with colleagues, clients, and collaborators are deeper, more meaningful, and more productive.<\/p>\n
Honestly, I started personal planning because life and work were not going well.<\/p>\n
I was a top-down leader because I needed to feel in control. My personal relationships struggled because I thought grinding equaled success. I was driven by quick money wins rather than long-term strategy.<\/p>\n
Understanding my personal purpose allowed me to focus on what fulfilled me at work. I found fulfillment \u2014 and, by the way, more success \u2014 at work, it felt less and less like I was carrying something with me when I got home. Suddenly, my business was working for my life, rather than my life working for my business. And, as I came to understand my personal purpose, discovering what will fulfill me post-exit became clearer. So, I\u2019ve started planning for that, too.<\/p>\n
Even if you haven\u2019t thought about your exit, you could probably tell me your dream version.<\/p>\n
But sometimes exit comes for us, we don\u2019t come for it.<\/p>\n
At EPI, we\u2019ve realized that half of exits stem from the 5Ds: Divorce, Disagreement, Disability, Distress, and Death. These negative, outside factors often come quickly. Without a personal plan, you\u2019ll likely spiral. If you don\u2019t know your personal purpose, then you won\u2019t know what to do next.<\/p>\n
What helped me most was talking to an advisor. And, luckily, more and more advisors are specializing in personal planning as it relates to exit planning. You can find a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA\u00d2)<\/a> near you today, and get started on the rest of your life.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n My first business \u2014 before I owned the Exit Planning Institute\u00ae (EPI) \u2014 was a landscaping and snow removal business. It was the kind of work where, if you were willing to grind, there was the potential for success. Revenue, sales, hiring\/firing, even jumping in a plow myself \u2014 my name was on the side of the truck, so it felt like the business deserved my 24\/7\/365 focus.<\/p>\n Not surprisingly, that eventually led to burnout.<\/p>\n When I went to sell my business, I realized I had created a business that became my personal purpose, rather than a vehicle for it. Instead of relying on my business to bring me fulfillment, freedom and financial gain, it simply brought me cash flow.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nKey Takeaways<\/h2>\n
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