I have been on the road on and off this past month and it has definitely put a pause in my day-to-day business. At first, I thought this was a bit of a curse because it takes me away from doing the important things that I need to do at the office and for my clients.
However, now that I am sitting in a coffee shop in between my meetings, I realized it has given me some time to step away from the daily rush and to reflect back on the business that I have.
Here are the some clarity I have come to realize in the past month:
1. Appreciation of a Supportive Team
When you are a one man show, you take on so many different roles in your business. You are the client services team, office administration, accountant and the sales team. You are not left with very much time for yourself or for what I call the “board of members” meeting. These are important jobs of a service company. How do you juggle all these balls in the air while traveling to different time zones and provinces?
This is when you realize having a trusted team is so important. While I still have to do most of this work myself; I am the sales team, accountant and the board member. However, it is reassuring to know that back at the office there is my personal assistant, Emily, to take care of some of the day-to-day. A great team member isn’t just someone that has the capability to do the job, but it is someone that cares for your wellbeing as well.
Emily reminds me about my tasks, follows up with me on the outstanding reminders and from time to time, she even reminds me of my bills and meetings. I am truly thankful to have someone on my team that makes sure I get my work done.
Then there is the personal side of things. Having a supportive spouse has allowed me to travel without worries and although she has all these things to deal with at home, she has not once complained about it. She is definitely the trusted partner that I need in my life to be able to do the things I do.
Who are your supporting members in your life? Take a minute to thank them and make sure they realize how much you appreciate them.
2. Trust and Understanding from the Clients
I used to pride myself to do everything for my clients the moment the requests came in. It felt a little like putting out fires one after another at times. While I still do my best to have the shortest turnaround as possible, I have now realized that most
people are very understanding and caring.
My clients know that I care about them and know that I am always doing my best with their best interest in mind and they know that I am human too. They can really understand that sometimes I need a little more than a few minutes or a few hours to get back to them. I think this realization has allowed me to take a breath from time to time. I am so lucky to have such caring clients that I get to work with. They make my job meaningful and give me the drive to keep improving.
3. My Love and Passion for the Business
Lastly, this is in part with my last message, it is the clients that give fuel to light the passion in my work and in my life. The work that I do is so much more fun and meaningful when I see the impact it has for my clients.
In part, in the past week I was attending the annual MDRT (Million Dollar Round Table) meeting.
This once a year event is for the top 1% of financial professionals to gather together to learn, share, reconnect and reignite the fire within. Being able to share the past 4 days with all these top advisers on a global scale has allowed me to realize that the world is such a big place, but the financial woes are more or less the same. It is the work that we do that gives some peace of mind and reassurance that their loved ones will be okay.
Their experiences and their passion definitely rub off on you and drive you to be better. This once a year meeting is something that I now look forward to because it gives me a time to reflect, reignite and re imagine myself and all the possibilities ahead. My renewed passion will be put into actions in the months to come and I hope this time next year, I will be able to stand tall and say I have grown to another level for my clients!
Thank you for taking the time to read my experiences, to my supporting partners in my live, and to my clients for allowing me to work with you all and entrusting me with your financial future. Finally, thank you MDRT members and friends for showing me the world is such a big place and the business is so rewarding!
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