Offer the gift that is priceless.
When my wife and I were younger, we had an aha experience that changed the course of our lives. In our early mid-thirties, we saw numerous people we knew pass away shortly after retirement. One of my friends lived 12 days after he clocked out for the last time. So, we decided we would do the retirement trips and events in
our 30s and 40s that we would have looked forward to in our retirement years. I imagine many thought we were crazy, but it was glorious. We had lots of energy and we were ready to see lots of destinations. We traveled the world, took our sons along and saw and experienced everything we would have done in our retirement.
Then, we got back to work. I started a real estate brokerage and then a second one and then expanded into multiple states. I already owned an electrical contracting company, and I expanded it into a second state. My hope with Quality Electric is to hand it over to my first son when I’m ready to hang up my tools. He is an incredible electrician with a master’s license. The electrical business has been in my life since 1984 and the clientele has doubled, tripled, and quadrupled over forty years. We don’t need to advertise, and I’ve been turning down an average of thirty commercial projects a month for 8 years. It will be easy for my son to continue as if I was never there.
The real estate side of my world has gotten to the place where it is self-supporting with repeat clients and referrals. It is a nice bonus to have. At my age, you would think I would be looking at the future with the intent to take it easy and settle back, catch my breath, and enjoy sunrises and sunsets. I do enjoy those, but I can’t make that a daily commitment. I’m too busy. That brings up my point, those of us who have had success in business have a gift to give to the new generation. My blogging and interaction online have suffered the past few years while I’ve been raising up the next generation of pros who will carry things forward in both businesses.
Midyear in 2023, a new and unique opportunity fell in my lap. An auction house owner called and asked if we could talk. We met up and he began explaining to me that families that are transitioning or families that are settling estates come to him early in their process to liquate “stuff” that needs to be gone, and often, with that stuff is real estate. He asked if I would help him start a real estate brokerage that would complement his auction business. What an interesting concept. Well, I did, and I offered a three-year commitment to help him get established and raise up a broker from within the ranks. We started early this year and just listed our first house and I have my first new first-time agent collaborating with the company. She is going to be a dynamo and I know this concept will be successful. What I hope you get from this rambling is that you have “a lot to offer.” I used to joke about “don’t retire, refire.” I’m not sure that’s what I’m doing, but I love that I can take a lifetime of experience and pour it into a half dozen individuals who are looking for guidance. For me, that’s the best retirement gift I could receive. Seeing them succeed is priceless.
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