by Marc Goodin, CEO of Storage Authority
People tell me all the time life is too short to save money. Life is too short to work hard. You have to enjoy life now. Hogwash!! You can do it all. And if you decide not to, at least do not tell us we work too hard.
I just look at them and smile. It is crazy because they have no idea what they are talking about. And then some of the same people tell me I am so lucky. It is not about just working hard but rather being consistent. So what if it sometimes giving up time on Instagram, Facebook, and TV.
Saturdays used to be my days to do chores.
Now I enjoy my 5 Saturdays a week
because I have to pay someone to do my chores.
I also hate the excuse: I am going to start when I can give it my all. There is no such thing as giving your business your all. There is always going to be family and a ton of things going on. Today and every day we all have 24 hours booked and that never changes.
In the last month we were told we worked too hard several times, but it certainly never feels that way. Maybe friends and family saw me take one of a half-dozen "work calls" after dinner last month. But what they don't see is all the time off and adventures we have between 8 - 5 every month.
In the last 30 days we:
We enjoyed the rodeo in NB Canada for 4 days
We traveled to the casino in a Winnebago to play slots & blackjack for a weekend
We went for a sunset boat ride twice
We had at least 20 campfires
Stayed at our cottage on the river for 6 days. Fished, relaxed and worked in my garden. We also watched the deer from our deck.
When not at the river cottage this summer we are camping on the ocean with our 5th wheeler. (we have starlink so we always have great internet.)
We ate out at both fancy & simple restaurants
and never read the menu far enough to the right to know the prices.
We checked in weekly via phone with our contractors renovating the kitchen, floors, baths, and ceilings at 2 of our houses. Over $200K paid in cash. Can't wait to see them done in late August. Our motto is if you can pay for it cash twice and not blink and eye go ahead and enjoy.
Last month as well as always everything we ever do and buy is paid for in cash. The exception being Self storage - the best debt in the world.
Went for regular drives after dinner. My favorite is an ice cream on the pier.
Walked 10,000 steps a day with my wife GP
Surfcast fishing weekly
.
Enjoyed over 15 sunsets with our friends.
Some work things I did last 30 days:
Wrote an article for a national self storage magazine to be published in Oct. Three things in self storage you must do yourself for a successful and very profitable self storage.
Reviewed Franchisees plans
Congratulated Rick and his team on their start of construction.
Talked to many franchises and future franchisees.
We enjoyed celebrating our Franchisee's success!
Found new solutions and worked on making our platforms and systems easier and better.
Met with our staff on Zoom weekly. Excited about our upcoming Ask the Storage Expert. If you want to get answers to your questions let me know and I will send a link. Get the low down from the guys in the self storage trenches.
If I did not have self storage I would go crazy. I retired at age 50 for 5 years and I enjoyed it In the beginning but learned there is more in life than "playing 24/7" I missed building things. I missed having a purpose. I missed the fun of business success.
If people are telling you, you work too hard Smile. You are on the track to your freedom sooner than you think.
If you are ready to be awesome let's talk self storage. Marc@storageauthority.com
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