When you were a kid, did you have a dream of what you wanted to be when you “grew up”?
I did. In fact, three of them.
Here is a quick peek into my evolution as a guy who loves business (especially the financial side of business). I had three dreams or visions for my future as I grew up.
Here is the short version of each one.
Dream #1
First, I wanted to be a rock n roll lead guitar player. I’d have long hair and a van and play huge crowds. I’d be the best guitar player around. I had imagined it vividly in my head. I was a bona fide Rockstar (in my own mind).
My Mom never would let me grow my hair long (we had some arguments over that often) but she did buy me a black Les Paul copy one year for Christmas. The problem is I realized in short order that I had no talent with the guitar and I was not coachable.
So much for that goal!
Now I live out this dream by enjoying “old school” rock and roll hairbands. Going to their concerts is one of my favorite non-business forms of entertainment. I enjoy LA Guns, Faster Pussycat, Cinderella, Motley Crue, AC/DC, Def Leppard, Tesla, and a lot more! 🙂
Dream #2
My second dream was to be a corporate jet pilot. I got my pilot’s license when I was 17. I worked (pretty much lived) at the Beaumont Municipal airport (in Beaumont, Texas). I fell in love with corporate jets in the process.
On some weekend nights we would rent a Cessna 172 and fly to Houston Hobby airport or to the airport in Jennings, LA. In Jennings, we could taxi over to a parking spot right next to what was then a Holiday Inn and have dinner. It was super cool.
We would have dinner then fly back. Great memories.
I realized I was not prepared to put in the time to get the hours necessary to start making money as a pilot. And I wasn’t going to the military because it seemed a bit too rigid for me at the time. (My little brother did go the military route and he flies F-16’s in the Air Force and National Guard). I ended up with about 220 flight hours.
I got to enjoy being in the sky later in my 40s through skydiving. I have about 150 jumps under my belt.
Dream #3
My third dream was to become a business kind of guy and focus on the financial side of business. I’d team up with smart entrepreneurs and provide a unique approach to adding value, creating financial insight (especially around cash flow), and helping them grow a company and make it worth a lot of money (and provide an outstanding product or service to customers at the same time).
I’d be a CPA who understood the business owner’s perspective. I’d be a CFO that could help a business owner create a great company that was a success financially. I wouldn’t be a typical accountant.
Now that’s fun. I found my niche!!!
Focusing intently on adding value, and owning a piece of the companies I work with, has worked out very well for me. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy working with smart entrepreneurs and business owners.
Let me know if you are one of those smart entrepreneurs I love to team up with.
Maybe it’s time to build a strong financial foundation and really crank the growth engine up. Times a wastin! 🙂
Philip Campbell is a CPA, financial consultant, and author of the book A Quick Start Guide to Financial Forecasting: Discover the Secret to Driving Growth, Profitability, and Cash Flow and the book Never Run Out of Cash: The 10 Cash Flow Rules You Can’t Afford to Ignore. He is also the author of a number of online courses including Understanding Your Cash Flow – In Less Than 10 Minutes. His books, articles, blog and online courses provide an easy-to-understand, step-by-step guide for entrepreneurs and business owners who want to create financial health, wealth, and freedom in business.
Philip’s 30 year career includes the acquisition or sale of 33 companies (and counting) and an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange.
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