Throughout my teenage years, we took a yearly trip to Six Flags to ride roller coasters. It was usually on a 90-degree summer day, and our time would be split between 3 activities: walking, waiting, and riding. The walking and waiting were always worth the wait to ride.
The ups, the downs, the turns, the jerks, the panic, the fear, the joy, the excitement, the speed, the screaming. It was the perfect way to spend a day.
If I’m being honest, that also sounds like the last 15 years of my life.
Nick and I started M&R 15 years ago and we’ve seen it grow to a dynamic team of 23. And there have been ups, downs, turns, jerks, panic, fear, joy, excitement, speed, and screaming. A lot of excitement. A lot of unknowns.
So, why do I stay on The Great American Scream Machine?
There are 4 reasons.
My family.
We started M&R in 2008, part-time. Two and a half years later, I told my wife, who was a stay-at-home mom, that it was time to pursue M&R full-time. I would quit my job, lose insurance, and remove our only source of real income. My wife supported Nick and me, unflinchingly. She understood that 80-hour weeks would eventually pay off. She knew she would be spending a lot of nights alone with our very young family over the next few years.
I stay on the roller coaster for my family.
Our team.
Over the last 15 years, we have been blessed to work alongside some remarkable people. They are innovative, passionate, driven, fun, and have a deep desire to see the businesses we work with grow and do amazing things. They want to see others succeed. They understand we move forward as a team, not alone. They bring others up when they are down. They share their knowledge and experiences with the rest of us. When their team’s personal or work life is tough, they commit. When our clients’ personal or work life is tough, they commit.
I stay on the roller coaster for our team.
Our clients.
We are fortunate to have a business that is intimately involved in the growth of companies. When we see our clients’ passion and focus on the future, it drives us to do our best work. Our clients have trusted us and allowed us to use their resources to spur their growth, and we respect the heck out of that. Every decision we make and every dollar we spend on behalf of our clients matters and affects their business. We know that, and we appreciate that.
I stay on the roller coaster for our clients.
Myself.
I would not be the person I am today were it not for work. I started working at 13. I peddled handmade crafts in my neighborhood, washed cars, and set up a baseball card shop in our garage. As soon as I turned 15, I got a job on a landscaping crew, and I worked through high school and college. My father was the hardest working man I’d ever known, and he taught me that work shapes you. He worked through cancer, twice.
Work teaches you important lessons that can only be learned within that context. It teaches you the value of a dollar and how to treat other people. It teaches you that when all else fails, hard work doesn’t. And it shows you what you’re capable of, which is usually more than you thought possible. I have grown as a person by working and it’s made me a better husband, father, business partner, friend, and co-worker.
I stay on the roller coaster for myself.
Work is a great thing. And when the work has meaning and value and contributes to improving the lives of others – and is done alongside people you love, respect, and trust – it’s worth waiting in line for.
I’ve stayed on the roller coaster, and it’s a dang good one.