Freedom

Hey everybody, Drew McLellan from Agency Management Institute. This week, I am coming to you from the Windy City, Chicago. Look, they even gave me a pillow in my hotel room to remind me where I was at. In this week's video, I want to talk to you about something that's a little off the beaten path, that is a little different from the topics that I've been talking to you about which have been financial metrics, and business development, and growing your team, and managing your time. What I want to talk to you about today is the rare privilege you have as agency owners. There is a part of your compensation, a part of your pay that I think many of you undervalue, and many of you under utilize, and that is the freedom that comes with being a business owner. We have the opportunity, and it's a really rare opportunity, to live the kind of life that other people only dream of. And I'm not talking about fancy cars, or boats, or a house. I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about using our time wisely and well. If you want to cut out of the office every day at 3 o'clock so you can pick up your kid at school, so you can catch them when they are full of the stories and the drama of the day, do it. Cross four and five o'clock off your calendar, and make it non-negotiable. Go pick up your son or daughter, and spend that time with them. If you want to take off Friday afternoon so you and your husband can go golfing, do it. If it's been too long since you've seen your parents and you are missing them or feeling guilty about not spending time with them as they get older, make the time. I'm here to tell you now is the time. So I don't care if it's something frivolous, like, I want to see every ballpark in the country, or it's something really heartfelt, like I really need to spend more time with my mom or my dad or my spouse or my kids or my best friend, or I want to volunteer at a NICU and hold babies. I don't care what it is. You have the privilege and the freedom to do those things. You have the resources, whether you're making a lot of money in your agency or not, you have resources like credit card points, and the freedom of time, and all of the other things that are privileges we have as business owners, that most people don't have. Leverage those privileges to create the moments in your life that matter. Many of us are getting to an age where we have either said goodbye to our parents, or were watching our friends say goodbye to their parents, or in some cases we're saying goodbye to our high school or college friends, and I've had agency owners young and old go through those experiences. Don't wait. Don't wait until the agency is slows down. Don't wait until there's more money in the bank. Don't wait until you've got somebody trained up to do something. Here's the deal. First of all, the agency's never going to slow down, so give that one up. And no matter how much money you have in the bank, you're always going to want a little bit more. And there's always going to be somebody to train up. You can work from anywhere on the globe if you have your laptop and your phone, odds are. And you can also be away for a few days, and the agency will not burn down to the ground, I want you to use the biggest privilege and the biggest part of your paycheck which is the freedom you have. Don't squander that. Use it today build a life that is filled with moments that matter, for you and the people in your life. And really take advantage of the fact that we are so blessed and lucky that we get to have that option in our life. And please, don't wait. Plan the trip today, buy the plane ticket today, go see your parents today, pick up your kid at school or go have lunch with them in the cafeteria today, surprise your wife with lunch or dinner today. Don't wait. It's a privilege we should not waste. I'll see you next week