Opening a business. This is mentioned in my series resume to retirement. There was a break between my job at Fidelity Investments and my last job at JPMorgan Chase that lasted 17 years until my retirement. During that 1+ year break, I opened a hockey training franchise. I am a level 4 certified coach with USA Hockey, and this was something that would be fun, and I hoped would be something that would work out. In the end, after a bit over 1 year, I had to close with no regrets. Any business needs to operate and pay its bills, but also pay the owner to survive. That second part was the problem. I built the business from the ground up. I had two synthetic rinks, a weight training area, and I sold some gear and sharpened skates. I had to do all the setup, marketing, promotion, and training. I acquired and trained over 100 kids and partnered with some organizations. I had no regrets. I learned so much from that experience that I believe it helped me in my last job managing projects and people. It was a great experience. This was not a failure, sure I had to close but I was successful on so many things. I know it did not seem that way when I closed, but as I looked back at what I did and what I accomplished, it was quite an accomplishment.
Daily Prompt: A Risk I Took And Don’t Regret
The “Old Guy in the Coffee Shop” Fund
Supporting my work helps keep this retired guy out of trouble and away from the TV—tips and pledges are always appreciated.
Buy me a coffee & pão de queijo
About Kevin, I spent 40 years in FinTech before retiring to
Rio de Janeiro to trade software releases for a front-row seat
to the beautiful absurdity of life in Brazil. This blog is my digital
porch, a place for unpolished commentary on book reviews,
daily gripes, and the random thoughts of a guy who finally has
the time to pay attention. I’m an observant realist with a deep
appreciation for history, a good quote, and the perspective that
only comes after the career ends. I write to stay sharp, to stay
honest, and to keep the conversation going.
Comments
10 responses to “Daily Prompt: A Risk I Took And Don’t Regret”
-
That’s so cool. It’s no easy thing to build a business from scratch.
-
Thanks for the reply. Yes it was a lot of fun and hard work!
-
You’re most welcome!
-
-
-
This is fantastic. I’m learning so much about one of my fave authors! Look at all the lives you touched via this business and coaching. You defintely made a difference in many budding hockey journeys.
-
Thanks for the reply. It was fun working with youth players. Funny they are all in their late 20’s and early 30’s now.
-
-
So fantastic! You took a risky, bold move, and the results were amazing! Building business from scratch takes a lot of time and courage, and it’s not easy. So proud of you ☺️
For me, I took a huge risk. I renamed my future business name from a gamer-like name to Aptivi. At first, my blog traffic dwindled, then went up exponentially. This happened 4 years ago.
-
Hey thanks for the reply. Checking ou your area now. It looks great.
-
You are welcome 😊 I appreciate your kind words
-
-
-
This is nice. I wish to look back someday and write something like this because building a business is risky and tiring.
-
Thanks so much for the reply, I appreciate it. Yes it is but it was fun too
-
Leave a Reply to kwholley63Cancel reply