Nina and I just watched the movie “Rocketman,” which is about Elton John’s life. One of the songs in the movie is “I’m Still Standing.” Elton John definitely survived a lot over the course of his life.
That got me thinking about my life. A lot has changed for me over time, as is the case for all of us.
Some of you know that I was recently honored by Remodelers Advantage, a company for which I have facilitated peer group meetings for the last 20 years, with a Lifetime Achievement Award. My decision to not facilitate peer group meetings going forward led to me receiving this award, an award for which I am deeply grateful.
The award has given some people the impression that I’m retired. I’m not! I’m done facilitating peer group meetings, that’s all.
There is still a lot of work to be done, from which I’ll continue to derive a tremendous amount of satisfaction and inspiration. Here are the activities I’ll still be engaged in.
Writing
This column has become a significant part of my life over the last 10 years. I’ll continue sharing my perspective as long as my editors think I’m providing value to you, the readers.
I look at the world differently because I write. In many cases, I gather insights from interactions with other service businesses in my day-to-day activities, insights that I think are relevant and useful to remodelers.
Phone Consulting
I’ll continue working with business owners and sometimes their employees remotely. A conversation is typically one hour. During that time, I listen to the challenges the client is facing, ask them clarifying questions, and provide them with suggestions on how they might handle the challenges.
Helping people see past the obstacles in front of them is a great privilege. And the only travel involved is to my office!
Onsite Consulting
Occasionally, I will travel to work with a client and all their employees over a three-day period.
Yes, this work includes traveling, like the facilitating I did, which is one of the reasons I decided to stop doing that. However, the level of intensity is a lot lower during an onsite than in a peer group meeting. Consequently, it is much less draining.
Helping a group of people learn how to work together more effectively is incredibly satisfying to me. It’s almost like I’m a remodeler working with people instead of materials.
Speaking
I’ve been speaking to industry groups for many years. Helping people not have to learn things the hard way, as I did so many times, is gratifying.
Every once in a while, someone tells me that what I said when they heard me speak several years ago changed their life. I’m not yet done trying to do that for others.
At some point, I will be done trying to make the world a safer place for remodeling contractors and their clients.
In the meantime, I’m still standing!