I Must Be Crazy

Or am I just getting to the age where I am becoming very aware of my own mortality, and hence, my limited time left on this planet?

I have always wanted to own my own company.  I think all of us dream of determining our own destiny, untethered from the whims and foibles of working for someone else.  And while I am very grateful and proud of the career that I have had in sales, I also sense within me a shift of sorts.  A need to leave a mark greater than myself or more than anything I may have accomplished within corporate America.

And despite a demanding career, young children still at home who need me to be present and involved, friends and family who rely on me, I pledged to myself months ago to take not just a leap into starting my own company, but I also promised to myself to give it everything that I possibly could.  You see, I am a dreamer by nature, and I have dabbled in the waters of entrepreneurship before.  From a short-lived furniture making venture (I didn't lose any fingers in the process) to exploring sales coaching in the past, these attempts have been half-hearted at best.

So, a few months ago, I got still.  And with pen and paper (I am old school like that), I began to rough out what this coaching business would look like.  Who would my niche market be?  What would be my mission?  How would I frame my business model?  How would I capture and retain clients?  I spent many late nights and weekends researching branding, marketing and more.  I listened to countless podcasts and watched what felt like a zillion (it's a real number, I promise) YouTube videos.  Slowly over time, GENRISE was born and became not just a new company, but what is truly a passion project for me.

You see, my mission here is not about making money (maybe I am crazy).  It is about giving back to the next generation.  I am old and just humble enough to proudly state that any success I have achieved in my own sales career has only been made possible because I had really good people around me.  And now I want to be one of those people for those who are coming up behind me.  It inspires me to know that I am a part of something much greater than myself, and I am giving back to a profession which has given me so much.

I think to be in sales you have to be a little bit crazy.  You have to be bold, unafraid of putting yourself out there and being rejected over and over.  Not everyone is cut out for this kind of crazy, but that is ok with me.

I am excited to work with the ones who are.

Carpe Diem,

Chuck

#sales #salescoaching #salesmentor #salescoach #salesmentoring #professionaldevelopment #GENRISE