A blank canvas is an equally exciting and unnerving thing.
When I began pondering a career change after seven years with ExactTarget (now Salesforce), I felt as though I was staring at a big white canvas. There I was with a bunch of brushes in one hand and a paint palette in the other. What would come next was entirely up to me.
I started asking myself some tough questions: What did I want to create in the next phase of my personal and professional life? What were my unique interests, skills, and ambitions? How could I use my time and resources to positively impact my family, friends, peers, other professionals, students, and community? What were my priorities?
Needless to say, I’ve done a lot of soul searching over the past year.
What I eventually realized was that there were no easy answers – no “lightbulb moments” – no one-size-fits-all solutions. While I love working in a corporate setting, I didn’t want to throw myself into an all-consuming job (neither did my wife Debbie…). While I love teaching grad students at Butler University, full-time academia isn’t my next step. Though I love volunteering and supporting great causes in my community, pursuing a full-time philanthropy role didn’t feel right either.
Then I realized something. I didn’t want to choose – and I didn’t have to.
That’s why I’m making 2015 all about exploration. I’m helping colleagues and friends start their businesses. I’m investing in some crazy-cool startups. I’m continuing to help my students learn and fulfill their career aspirations. I’m volunteering and engaging on nonprofit boards for organizations I’m passionate about. Most importantly, I’m spending quality time with my family and being present in my kids’ lives – while they still want to hang out with their dad…
Last, but not least, I’m doing something I’ve never done before – starting my own business!
Cadence Consulting is the result of many months of planning, networking, dreaming, and good old-fashioned hard work. I’ll be helping companies of all sizes and in all industries bring back office to the forefront (like my new tagline?). With more than 15 years of experience across human resources, legal/risk management, and corporate real estate, Cadence is the perfect vehicle for me to impact more people, more companies, and more communities.
And I can’t wait to get started.