“A man’s got to have a reason to get up in the morning.” This was a favorite expression of my uncle, an extremely successful entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and philanthropist. In fact, what got him up in the morning for the last 10 years of his life was giving away much of his fortune.  He said giving his money away was more fun than earning it.  He was known as “the Godfather of philanthropy.”

He also used to say, “People who are more concerned about security than opportunity are more afraid of life than death.” So, what is your reason for getting up in the morning?

Today I received an email from a client. It read, “Hi Steve, this may not come as much of a surprise that I retired last Wednesday. It was the end of my 32 year run. Much of it was working with you which was a high spot. Warm regards, Brook.”

Like most of you, I have worked to earn a living. However, unlike most of you, I’ve been self-employed for over 40 years. Whenever the boss was an idiot, I could look directly into the mirror and tell him he’s a jerk!

I never had to deal with some of the issues my clients did. Of course, I had other challenges. In the early years it was survival, then it was keeping up and controlling growth, then it was slowing down and achieving a more balanced life, and today I get up in the morning because I enjoy my work. For the most part, I don’t perform annoying tasks anymore. The ones that I was “forced” to do. You know, the prospecting, selling, hiring, managing, etc.

Today, the clients who hire me are the same ones who have been hiring me consistently for at least 20 years and in several cases; for 40 years. They get it! And because they get it and appreciate the work that I do and the positive impact it has on their companies, I still enjoy getting up in the morning…

Why do you get up in the morning?

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(C) 2017 Steven M. Stroum