June is graduation month and this year graduation has special meaning to me personally. My daughter earned her Master’s Degree. When I look back at her freshman year, I had my doubts that a Bachelor’s Degree was within her grasp. And when she applied for the Master’s program, I again wasn’t sure, yet here we are today!
I think her experience is not unlike that of many professionals, myself included. We begin our professional career thinking we know what to expect, hoping we have made the right decision. We may be successful in our chosen path, but often there is a lingering feeling. “Is this all there is? I have achieved the first step, but should I be considering something else? What might I be missing?”
Like the parent who tells the high school senior to just get a college degree and start a career, we tell ourselves that what we are doing is what we should be doing. But what if we dare to look sideways? What if there is something else that would be more fulfilling? What if that “lingering feeling” in the back of our mind could take us to greater satisfaction, to greater opportunity? If we never trust our instincts and take a chance, we will never know what new opportunities are waiting for us.
I believe this quote from Meredith Vieira speaks to many people who are stuck in a position wondering if there is more to career life. She advised graduates to “open yourself up to possibilities you might never have considered.”
Franchising offers many people the opportunity to do just that, to look sideways. You can explore the possibility of owning your own company, being your own boss. You can discover the many different franchises available to you in business, manufacturing, service. You may be sitting in a comfortable but unfulfilling career, apprehensive as I was with my daughter’s freshman year, thinking you would like something different but wondering if you can make it. Tom Brokaw zeroes in on this point when he says, “do not run from big and bold challenges.”
I’m glad my daughter didn’t share my hesitation when she started college. I hope you will overcome your hesitation and graduate to a new opportunity in a career as a franchise owner. I am sharing quotes from NBC News, “Class of 2015: A Roundup of Our Favorite Commencement Speeches,” because motivational comments inspire us:
“Life is a long bumpy road that makes for an exciting ride. Choose a direction and if the road turns – turn!” —Jon Bon Jovi
“You’ve got everything you need right now to succeed – you got it!” —Michelle Obama
To all the franchisees who have already graduated from training, advanced training and have gone on to start living the dream – my hat’s off to you. Congratulations!