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I've been a workaholic my whole life. After college, I quickly rose up through the ranks to become a National Sales Manager for high tech/computer companies in Silicon Valley, It took a lot of effort, and carried with it lots of stress (in Sales, it's not about your past accomplishments, it's about what did you bring in this month, and what is your forecast for making sales rise even more).
I finally decided that if I was going to be putting in 60+ hour weeks anyway, that I may as well do it for myself, on my own terms, and not have to deal with corporate politics anymore (the higher up you are, the more you have to deal with that).
Starting my own mainstream business almost 12 years ago was one of the best decisions of my life, although it has not been without several ups and downs. I added on my adult business about 10 years ago, and although it has not been as financially rewarding as I would have liked (due to the iBill debacle, etc), I am making steady progress towards my goals.
I enjoy operating my own businesses because I have greater flexibility regarding my hours, and I can make change of course business decisions much more rapidly.
Not having to deal with bureaucratic red tape allows me to focus more time on creative and marketing activities, instead of being bogged down in unproductive meetings and time-consuming paperwork.
At times I long for the relative security of the corporate world, and I find myself taking less time-off for vacations, yet I love the challenge of growing my own business, and at the end of the day, being able to look at what I have done and have a sense of accomplishment.
ADG
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