The F-ing Craziest Thing I Have Done

Getting married is not the f-ing craziest thing I have done. In December I will celebrate 21 years of marriage. If you speak with my wife she might argue vigorously that we merely stumbled to 21 years. I would disagree and for that reason getting married is not the f-ing craziest things I have done.

How about becoming a parent? With two young adult children and toddler the decision to become a parent is not the f-ing craziest thing I have done.

Lying on the glass floor at the top of the CN Tower is not the f-ing craziest thing I have done. Zip-lining and treetop trekking in Horseshoe Valley is not the f-ing craziest thing I have done. Descending Heritage Road or the top of Mississauga Road at a top speed of 65KPH is not the f-ing craziest things I have done.

The frigging or freaking (not the f-word you were thinking) that I have ever done is deciding to start my own consulting practice in 2006. What is the f-ing craziest thing you have done?

I started thinking about this blog one evening last week as I sat in my car at the Brampton Go Station with Malcolm, my 19 year old son. We were waiting for Michelle’s train to arrive. When the train arrived Malcolm looked at all the hard working people getting off the train and then said that most of the people looked unhappy. He said they all seem like fishes following the stream or ants following crumps or mice following cheese.

Malcolm’s observation and comments were poignant because his mother was getting off the train. I told Malcolm that the frigging or freaking craziest thing I have done in my life was deciding to start my own consulting practice. I told him that the people getting off the train were the normal hardworking middle class people. They relish in the semblance of the security and stability of their jobs. Their lives are by most part routine. Crazy people are like me do crazy things like become entrepreneurs or innovators. Most things for the people getting off the train are routine. On the hand, crazy people like me face risk and uncertainty of gigantic proportions. Some days I yearn to be like the ordinary working class man.

I cannot just romanticize about the wonderful virtues of being an entrepreneur. In 2008/2009 when the financial crisis hit I almost loss everything I had worked. If you don’t have the gumption for the risks and uncertainties that comes with being self-employed your life is better off being one of the thousands of ordinary folks. You are better off doing your daily commute into one of the big cities for your pay cheque.

As a business owner when I read of the extravagance of former public servants like Alison Redford in Alberta I wonder to myself if others understand the courage and challenges of entrepreneurs and business owners. For my business I have had to travel to some hostile countries without the benefits of an advance scout forwarding photos of hotels and suites, sussing out suitable patios and restaurants. In some cases I don’t even have the benefit of security. In fact, with the recent Ebola outbreak in Africa and violent conflicts in a number of countries my business stands to be adversely affected by travel bans and restrictions.

There is a lot that can be romanticized about being an entrepreneur but there is some element of “insanity” to business ownership. In a way business ownership is like an occasional wild goose chase. As small business owner I sometimes feel I am on a wild goose chase but lessons learned are immeasurable and I have enjoyed every moment. It might be crazy and sometimes yearn for a normal life but there is joy that comes with the business ownership that hard to explain.

As a business owner I dare is to lose my footing momentarily. I dare to lose myself and not to just have a normal life. Business is about facing risk and uncertainty. It is not about having a purely routine life. If business was about just doing the things that we can do there would be no innovation or creative. By daring to take risks and face uncertainties I have learn valuable lessons. For example, I now know how to better market and promote my services through the use of blogs, social media like Facebook, Google+, Linkedin and Twitter.

As frigging or freaking crazy as it has been to start my own business I have also made a fool of myself along the way. From such experience I have come to realize that there is a tiny thread between being brilliantly creative and acting like the most gigantic idiot on earth. Today I encourage my friends to take a leap and pray like crazy that they will find solid ground to land. You have to be determined and prepared to exploit opportunities as they come along. For example, in this winter I was able to deliver a presentation on Bitcoin and virtual currencies to TD Global AML Team in Toronto.

Being prepared is one of the best lessons I have learned. As business owner you have to be prepared to meet your clients’ needs. Business ownership is crazy. You can’t pick my exit or the moment when an opportunity will be presented but you can ensure that you are ready. I am constantly educating and reinventing myself to remain relevant and current in my field. What are doing to educate and re-invent yourself?

Business ownership is crazy and because of that I have learned a lot about my core strengths and weaknesses are and I work to plug the gaps where they exist. Do not be afraid to go into an industry where you are not the core expert. When you are running a business you can learn from several different sources. As a business owner you have to understand how to build customer loyalty and this something you can learn when you interact with people from different industries.

It might be frigging or freaking crazy going into business but the key to success is to surround yourself with people or delightful and talented team. My wife and children, my brother Peter McKenzie, Chris Mathers, Owen Henry, Robert Mathavious, Nyron Davidson and so many others continuously challenge me to be a better me. Business ownership is crazy, you cannot make it on your own.

In 2006 when I started Mark McKenzie Consulting my friends thought I was crazy. Today, I think starting a business is the frigging or freaking craziest thing I have done. However, the life lessons are enormous. I do admire those who have a stable career and income and sometimes yearn for such. Business ownership the frigging or freaking craziest thing I have done. It is financially risky but for me it has been an adventure worth living.

What is the craziest thing you have done?

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.