After 30 years in the business, I am out of PowerSpeaking, Inc. To make it official, Mary wrote me a check, and I signed over all my stock to her. PSI is now 100% owned by Mary McGlynn.
This is a huge change for the company, for Mary, for our relationship, and for me. Like many things in my life, I wish I’d done it sooner. What happens next, time will tell. It is refreshing, though, to have a very open schedule. No programs to do and no meetings to attend. After I clean up the basement, get in shape, lose 15#, and dump hundreds of files, I’ll have to figure out what to do in my remaining years. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, I want to share the feedback I’ve received. I sent a memo to our staff, trainers, some clients, and board. The responses were amazing. About 30 people wrote to me about the company; about my work; about retirement. I was deeply touched by their caring and appreciation. I could not imagine a more wonderful group of people to work with during most of my professional life.
Edited down from 9 pages and 2,200 words here are the comments:
Retirement Advice
Having been my own business since 1990, I thought when I had to stop working that it would be a huge deal for me because so much I my identity was tied up in me the consultant. I was pleasantly surprised at how great it was to establish my new identity as me who has fun and takes photos and hangs out with artsy people. Very quickly I couldn’t figure out how I ever had time to work. I expect you will have a similar transition – and wow is it fun!!
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I think this is great. I liked your letter a lot. I get the death part. But, you are free to create again, not just move shit around the same box.
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Wow, congratulations. I’ll sit around drinking coffee with you and the rest of the white-haired geezers — except, of course, I’m fast running out of hair, white and otherwise. My bet is that you won’t be doin’ to too much sittin’; you’re not the sittin’ type. Can’t wait to see what you tackle next.
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I know this is a jump into the unknown for you. You are in good health and you have good longevity genes. You have a lot of life left in your bones.
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And now you get to do whatever you think is fun, just for you. Knowing you, and watching you over recent months, you’ll be creating even more legacy, by honoring and being true to yourself.
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Now you’ve launched other innovative and influential ventures. Keep that blog and your unique community projects going.
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One piece of advice you DIDN’T ask for: don’t say “yes” to anything (except people you love and only for fun) for one year. By then you’ll have decompressed some, thought a lot and will be ready to experiment with a new opportunity.
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Maybe one of the first things you might consider doing is throwing a duffel bag in the car with a few maps and taking off with no destination in mind. Just drive.
PowerSpeaking’s Impact
Congratulations on the huge accomplishment of starting PowerSpeaking, bringing its resources to clients, and providing a really great living for lots of employees. If it were me, I’d be very proud.
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With PowerSpeaking®, Inc., you have created a legacy that is integral to who you are, so you can be certain that your personal influence will continue on and on and on.
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I guess there must be a sense of letting go of your body of work.
But when most people die, I don’t think they can look at what they have to let go of and truly be able to say, “my body of work has changed lives for the better and – because it’s in the form of a sustainable business – it will continue to change lives in a significant way – that I created.” That’s a legacy.
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Rick, congratulations for your PSI vision so many years ago — and for turning that vision into roaring-success reality! Quite a legacy! That legacy is now in Mary’s capable hands, so the PSI beat will go on!
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The beauty of all this lies in the satisfaction of having built a successful group of people that can carry on and continue your dreams and aspirations. But, perhaps the most rewarding aspect is you can now reflect and ponder, “what’s next?”, knowing you have blazed new and innovative trails and have influenced 1000’s of lives, positively, while on this revolutionary path.
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You have so much to be proud of; this company will always bear your badges of honor and your scars. You have created a training company legacy…and that is just amazing! Know it could be in no better hands than Mary’s…the only one who loves PowerSpeaking as much as you. (A congrats note will soon be going to Mary, too.)
My Influence
Yes, you are THE most self-actualized person I have ever known. And whatever you’ve learned, you’ve made a workshop out of it (remember?). Passing it on. So your career has been self-actualized, but not self-serving. With PowerSpeaking®, Inc., you have created a legacy that is integral to who you are, so you can be certain that your personal influence will continue on and on and on.
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Congratulations for your new chapter of your life! I understand that this is a big decision for you. Even if we had limited interactions, you clearly left a big impression on me as someone who is unique and full of energy.
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I write this in tears. PSI means so much to so many and it was more than your brain-child. It was your heart and soul child. Through this yes, beloved, company, you have put your values into the business world, and beyond that, many have found shelter from the storms of life.
Thank you for being my friend and my mentor and my shelter from the storm more than you know. I know that our friendship will continue (And not on fucking Facebook!) And for that I am truly and forever grateful.