Life Doesn’t Begin After Retirement

by Susan Scotts

Are you living the life you want? Or are you living to work - working harder not smarter? Are you waiting to “begin living” after retirement? You’re not alone. I finally had enough and took ownership of my income, lifestyle, wealth and equity (ILWE) by becoming self-sufficient through franchise ownership, and it was the best thing I ever did.

Rewind: I was working 40+ hours with tons of travel. Factor in the traffic and aggravation of the commute, and misery overflowed. Once I got home, I’d have to take care of the home/kids responsibilities while checking emails for the office. There was also travel for weeks at a time which included weekends and missing out on my son’s school and sports events and sometimes holidays and birthdays. Weekends meant getting the cleaning done and running errands for dry cleaning, groceries, etc. I also had to schedule hair appointments around work, since I was tied to the desk/office from 8-5. And when they said one hour for lunch, they meant it. No fun lunches with friends for me! All this only to have a cap on my salary. Sound familiar? One year after I had reached my goals for a big commission check, they decided to reduce my pay structure.That was the final straw for me.

Through that experience, I learned I desired three things: control, flexibility and the ability to create wealth for my future. I realized that by working for someone else, I would never have those things. I was Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing, but I’d never be in control since I didn’t own the company. I had zero flexibility, and with a compensation schedule they could change any time, the wealth part wasn’t looking so good either.

I took ownership of my future and bought a franchise. I didn’t know everything about owning a business and wanted help with a business plan, marketing, technology and training and support. By investing in a franchise, I got the tools and the support I was looking for. I was in business for myself, but not by myself. The relationships and camaraderie with new friends and talented individuals have been an amazing addition to my life as well!

Owning a business gave me confidence in myself and for my future. It was the vehicle for me to buy a fantastic home in a beautiful country club community overlooking three holes of a stunning golf course with no other homes in sight, so my view reminds me of the French Countryside.

For me, the best part is the worklifebalance. Fast forward to today. I don’t set an alarm. I take care of my family, puppy, home–and myself! I exercise every morning as I thank God for my many blessings! I start and stop my day when I want to. I have time to mentor veterans to give back to make the world a better place. I end my day around 4 p.m., so I have time to prepare dinner, play frisbee with the puppy, sit by the pool or just unwind and enjoy my day. I play in a competitive women’s tennis league and enjoy practices and competitive play each week. I take days off when I want to. I don’t work nights and weekends. I don’t have to ask for my birthday or holidays off. I can work from anywhere, so I can travel to see my son who lives in another state. I generally don’t schedule clients in on Friday afternoons and sometimes take that time to shop or go for a hair appointment. Boy, I’m sure glad I have such a great boss!

It’s never too late to start living the life YOU want. I think I was 42 when I invested in my franchise business. In retrospect, I wish I had done it earlier in my life, but truthfully, it took time to build up the courage to be my own boss. But I DID it! Colonel Sanders was 65 before he started Kentucky Fried Chicken, so I guarantee you, it’s not too late! While the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago, the next best time is today. You can CHOOSE to live the life you want.

A call with a Career Ownership Coach can help you clarify your goals and show you the steps to help you become self-sufficient while providing funding options. What’s stopping you from taking the first step to living the life of your dreams? Sometimes the greatest risk is not taking one at all.

Susan Scotts is a multiple award winning career transition coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source® and possesses three decades of experience in helping empower individuals to become entrepreneurs through franchise business ownership. For a complimentary consultation, she can be reached at 561-859-9110 or SScotts@EsourceCoach.com.