Dane Sullivan-

In 1979, I graduated from the top-ranked business school at the University of California. My plan was a long summer of travel and adventure before joining the family roofing business.

I was looking forward to working with my father and learning the ins and outs of running the business. And he was looking forward to his retirement and finally relaxing and traveling himself. Something he could never do while he was “chained” to the business.

But those plans were all cut short when he suffered a heart attack from the long hours and stress of running the roofing company for all those years.

Suddenly, I had to step up take the reins of the family business. Now I was a contractor.

But without my father’s “real world” guidance, it didn’t take me long to run the business into the ground.

I knew I needed help but like so many contractors I let my pride get in the way.

After finally setting my big ego aside I started the long climb out of the hole I had gotten us into.

But I didn’t do it alone. I hired a business consultant and it changed my life. With his help we designed a plan to take me where I wanted to go.

I knew I didn’t want the stress of doing everything myself and grinding out a living working 14 hour days. I’d seen first hand how that works out.

I wanted to travel while I was still young and have the time to watch my 3 boys grow up. Essentially, I wanted to be able to do whatever I wanted to do. I wanted to enjoy life.

I wanted to have a business that worked for me. Not just a job where I worked for my business. And that’s exactly what I did.

Over the years I built a wildly successful roofing business that allowed me to step away from the stressful day to day decision making and live the life I wanted.

And you can do it too.

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