Pull the Chute

I enjoy helping others. According to Meyers Briggs, my personality type is an Assertive Protagonist. I feel called to serve a greater purpose in life. Thoughtful and idealistic, I strive to impact other people and the world around me positively. I rarely shy away from an opportunity to do the right thing, even when doing so is far from easy. Meyers Briggs got this one right. This analysis is exactly who I am.

I have recently told people that I believe there are five important birthdays in your life. When you turn 16 because you can drive, when you turn 21 because you're legal, when you turn 40 because you realize, statistically, your life is half over, and you start to look at items on your bucket list to do while you can. For me, that was to go skydiving. You take a plane up to 14,000 feet and then tumble out, falling at 120 mph. It's hard to breathe; one movement spins you out of control. Everything is happening so fast you can't see where you're at or where you want to go. At 5,500 feet, you Pull the Chute suddenly, you can breathe again, you're in control, and you can see where and where you want to go. Isn't that like life? And if you own a business, isn't that how you feel about running your business? The next important birthday is when you turn 60 and realize that you are on that downward slope in life, and you look in the mirror and ask yourself, "What have I done to leave my mark in this world?" For me, that's when I decided that I wanted to follow my passion for helping others, especially small to medium-size businesses. Therefore, I started to Pull the Chute as a coaching business that would allow people, for at least one hour a week, to 'pull the chute,' take a breath, feel in control, see where they're at and where they want to go. Owning a business or being the boss can be a lonely place. It is invaluable to have a coach that owners/executives can confide in, plan together, help make decisions, and hold them accountable.