"My business is my pension" is entirely the wrong frame of mind you should adopt when looking at the latter stages of your life. I found leaving my company very hard. There was the severing of old ties, then the introduction of the new junta. I suppose it was unavoidable to notice some hurtful gestures for example, my not being invited to the Christmas do that year, not hearing what was going on in everybody's lives in the office ... but I think the most painful moment for me was when I was asked to turn in my fob for ...
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"My business is my pension" is entirely the wrong frame of mind you should adopt when looking at the latter stages of your life. I found leaving my company very hard. There was the severing of old ties, then the introduction of the new junta. I suppose it was unavoidable to notice some hurtful gestures for example, my not being invited to the Christmas do that year, not hearing what was going on in everybody's lives in the office ... but I think the most painful moment for me was when I was asked to turn in my fob for access to my building. Correction - my old business's building. I felt as though I was completely excluded. Of course, the reality was that I had to be and I understood that; but remembering that, and especially that it had been my own decision in the first place, made it no less painful. I was going through the process of elimination. I was being eliminated: it was as though the Daleks had finally got me after all these years. The old sofa in front of the TV in my parents sitting room back in the 70s couldn't hide me now. I found that I'd gone back pretty much full circle to being a one-man-band. The only difference this time was that my bank account, thankfully was in the black. I knew that I wanted to work with mergers and acquisitions again; I wanted to close better deals for people that I cared about. I envisaged myself as a sort of "gun for hire". For the next several months, I became used to the process of elimination for myself: I needed to discover what I wanted. As I embarked on each project that came away, I asked myself, "Am I really enjoying this?" I started exploring new online opportunities and giving master classes. Meanwhile, in my private life, my wedding plans were progressing at speed. Kristina and I planned to tie the knot in her birth country, Albania. For this to happen, I had to be baptised into a whole new religion, let alone a new culture. That, essentially, is what I am still doing: metamorphosing. For all the uncertainty and occasional lack of momentum, putting my family first and living out what I always said I wanted to do 'when I'm older' has brought me more joy than I ever thought possible. If you're a business owner, how easy is it really to retire? How simple would it be to sell up your business and move on to a quieter life? For the answers to these and other questions, make sure you read this book before you make your next life-changing decision. With Rob's characteristic humour and wisdom and the insight, guidance and input of some of his entrepreneurial friends, you will be better prepared for the ups and downs of this exciting new phase of your life.
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