1851

Happy Birthday to me. Yes, today is my birthday, along with Miley Cyrus, Snooki, Robin Roberts, Rick Bayless and many others. Oh, and today is Thanksgiving, too. Happy Thanksgiving to you and to your family.

Much like Thanksgiving, celebration days are great days of reset and reflection. They are great days to think about what works and what doesn&rsquo;t; the challenges and successes you have experienced and what you want to change about your career and your life. I like to reflect transparently and honestly so that I can address my challenges and replace them with opportunities.

I also love the timing of this day (Thanksgiving for most, my birthday for me), in that there is still a solid month left in the remainder of the year. As I reflect on goals created at the start of the year and the steps I took to achieve them, I know that I don&rsquo;t have to give up on those not completed just yet. Effort, in many cases, is just as good as accomplishment. Steps toward success with true learning are valuable.

At this time of year, I like to reflect on two boxes: life and business. Within those buckets, there are a lot of things. &ldquo;Things&rdquo; is a good word to use, as the reflections are not always connected through dotted lines.

In business, I use this time to think back to when I started our agency and how far I have come as a person, as a boss, as a businessman and as a future visionary. When I started No Limit Agency*, I was 27. At 27, I didn&rsquo;t have a wife or kids or a home. At 27, I had a lot of bullies in business, as I was creating a competitive business in (at that time) a franchise industry that was super small and super supportive of my competition. My competition would bad mouth me at any given opportunity. The bad-mouthing was, at that point, about my age. &ldquo;Why would you want to work with a kid?&rdquo; &ldquo;That kid is too cocky?&rdquo; &ldquo;That kid tries to push non-traditional things like social media.&rdquo; The insults were frequent, harsh (and harsher), and focused on my lack of experience and age.

I also had my support systems. My future wife, Sharon, several clients who have been with me for the whole ride and many friends who have helped shape me and guide me through any troubled water that attacked &ndash; like the bullies.

A lot of great things have happened in our business &ndash; two cities, five offices, several business extensions and tons of great people.

The experiences over the last 10 years have taught me much about myself, about restraint, about really listing to the lesson my parents taught me and about if you have nothing nice to say, don&rsquo;t say anything at all. My maturity is getting better (it&rsquo;s not perfect, as I still lover Nerf guns).

My skin is thicker, my creativity is greater and my drive for excellence is unstoppable.

Today, 10 years later, the insults are still prevalent and the segment challenges still exist. Don&rsquo;t worry, though, I have learned how to deal with bullies (remember, I was the fat kid, this isn&rsquo;t my first rodeo). However, what&rsquo;s interesting about the insults is that they are not against me anymore, they are against we &ndash; and &ldquo;we&rdquo; is greater than &ldquo;me.&rdquo; We can let those insults fly off our backs much easier.

In business, I have a lot I still want to accomplish and a ton of energy to do so. We will create an amazing agency that will do amazing things. We are creating excellence.

Turning 37 means I am in my upper 30s. From a personal standpoint, I have a lot of great things to reflect on. I now have a wonderful wife (Sharon), two beautiful children (Jagger and Lennon) and a home. While those great life accomplishments bring additional responsibilities, they also bring me great relief and support for turbulent days. They are my rocks &ndash; my foundational support needed to light another fire for the next day.

In life, I have already, at 37, gotten everything I have hoped for, and more. Life is short and I try to make the most of every day. And when the day is turbulent, there is tomorrow.

As you reflect on your business and your life, are you satisfied? Are you taking the right steps to accomplishing what equals happiness for you? Use days like Thanksgiving to be thankful for everything you have, but also as a moment to dream about what else you want in this life. Set goals, write them down and go achieve them. Even when slow out of the gate, don&rsquo;t let a year that&rsquo;s almost over prevent you from taking action steps toward winning.

I look forward to the next voyage around the sun, and to this point next year when I get to experience reflection again.

When I Started My Business I Was Younger, Now I Am 37

1851 Franchise

 Celebration days are great days of reset and reflection. As you reflect on your business and your life, are you satisfied?

when-i-started-my-business-i-was-younger-now-i-am-37

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue Franchisees Champion Fall Prevention To Keep Seniors Safe at Home

trublue-franchisees-champion-fall-prevention-to-keep-seniors-safe-at-home

Pet Wants

FOX Reno: Summer Pet Safety With Pet Wants of Sparks

fox-summer-pet-safety-with-pet-wants-sparks

Workout Anytime

Workout Anytime Teams Up with Viral Baseball Star Kyle “KJ” Jackson to Inspire Fitness Journeys Nationwide

workout-anytime-teams-up-with-viral-baseball-star-kyle-kj-jackson-to-inspire-fitness-journeys-nationwide

Sola Salons

1851 Franchise Deep Dive graphic with Sola Salons logo

Sola Salons Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-sola-salons-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Paris Baguette Canada

image of paris baguette cake and franchise decorations

What Canadian Franchisees Want to Know: Paris Baguette Profit Potential and Franchisee Support

paris-baguette-franchise-canada-profit-support

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Keurig Dr Pepper Splits in $18 Billion JDE Peet’s Deal, Creating Global Coffee Giant

keurig-dr-pepper-splits-in-18-billion-jde-peets-deal-creating-global-coffee-giant

McDonald’s Rolls Out Major Value Push To Win Back Customers Amid Inflation

mcdonalds-rolls-out-major-value-push-to-win-back-customers-amid-inflation

Photo of Paris Baguette pastries and beverages 

Paris Baguette Celebrates 250th Café Opening in Frederick, Maryland, Accelerating Expansion and Reviving the Neighborhood Bakery Café

paris-baguette-250th-north-america-cafe

Restaurant Chains Open Their Wallets To Jump-Start Franchise Growth - 1851 Franchise

Restaurant Chains Open Their Wallets To Jump-Start Franchise Growth

restaurant-franchise-incentives-cash-royalty-holidays-fee-reductions

1851 Keyword - The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

The Secret To Succeeding With a Part-Time Franchise Is Picking the Right Model

part-time-franchises-picking-the-right-model

"Top 15 Health & Wellness Franchises" note against blue and purple background

Top 15 Health and Wellness Franchises Opportunities for 2025

top-health-and-wellness-franchises

Image of four people in a room. One, wearing an orange shirt, appears to be presenting to the others

Happinest Brands’ Comprehensive, Transparent Approach to Franchise Growth

happinest-brands-transparent-franchise-growth

Franchise Opportunities With High Success Rates - 1851 Franchise

Top Franchise Opportunities With High Success Rates

top-franchise-opportunities-with-high-success-rates

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores

hooters-franchise-model-company-owned-closures

graphic image of a franchisee spotligh aman kaur of voodoo brewing

How This Trio of Friends Is Brewing Up Community With Voodoo Brewing Co. in Prosper, Texas

voodoo-brewing-franchisee-aman-kaur-prosper-texas

Franchise Deep Dive graphic with i9 Sports logo

i9 Sports Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

i9-sports-franchise-cost-fees-profit

Hely and Hiral Patel Bring Their Longtime Dream to Life With The Brass Tap

brass-tap-franchise-pasadena-maryland-hely-hiral-patel

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Dan Ellestad and Seniors Helping Seniors logo

How This Marine Veteran Went From Military Service to Senior Care and Found His Purpose in Franchising

seniors-helping-seniors-dan-ellestad

When I Started My Business I Was Younger, Now I Am 37

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS