Billy Keels  0:01  The truth about when you want something bad enough. Today's episode is sponsored by Billy Keels advisory services. If you want to learn more about how to make your 99 optional, just go to make it optional.com. Once again, that's make it optional.com. The truth about when you want something bad enough is inspired by a story that actually happened to me. And if you've ever felt like you are in your corporate rat race and you're there and you feel like you don't have many options because you're constantly chasing something that's elusive, just invest a couple minutes with me here. It's going to be a really brief episode. But what I want you to understand is you can understand how your passion can unlock doors, positive doors that you don't even recognize today, because back in 2012 so I don't know when you'll be listening to this. But in October 2012 I made what felt like at the time, actually, right after I made the decision, when I was on an airplane, what was the worst decision of my life. Now, a lot has transpired since then, right? And I've had perspective, but had I not had a specific moment in time in October of 2012 I would not be able to be here today to talk to you about the truth, about when you want something bad enough, because that moment in time something happened for me, because I boarded a flight, living in Barcelona, Spain, traveling to Frankfurt, and then took a bus or a shuttle from Frankfurt to the location, the company that I was working for at the time, large enterprise software company, three letters German, and I say it sometimes. Sometimes I don't. I don't feel like saying right now, but I knew that morning, when I was getting on a flight, that I was going to miss my son's third birthday party. I saw my son. I saw him. I spent time with him, I gave him a hug. I saw his brother. I saw his mom. I mean, it was it wasn't that it wasn't there, because I still was able to figure out how to make the system work for me. Just not enough. Why? Because I felt like there was something else that I needed, and that was because of the way that I grew up. I wanted to consistently prove my worth to everybody else, and I needed to be promotable at my job, because that was what I thought at the time, was my identity. At the same time, I wanted to be a dad who was present, right? And I was present in the morning, I just wasn't there later on. So I wanted to feel, ultimately, the benefit that I received out of that day, that painstaking, like while everybody else is at the birthday party, I was there on the phone, right? I was there on the phone, on the FaceTime, but I wasn't there. I mean, he didn't even recognize that. We talk about it more now, because he's like, Dad, you talk about this a lot. Well, yeah, because it changed the trajectory of my life. That's why I'm sharing it. That's why I talk about it so much, because I am very grateful for that moment in life, although it hurt me a lot, the pain, I wanted to run away from it. I didn't want it anymore, because I wanted to feel like I was in control of my time, in control of my life. And had I not missed that birthday party, I would probably still be just going along, following the path right, because that's what I was told I was supposed to do. And you know what? I kept doing it for a long time, even when I didn't have to, even when I had built a multiple six figure job, or a six figure not a job, but a six figure business on the side, multiple six figures on the side while I was working my day job,Billy Keels  4:10  that's the thing. It helped me to realize because I was going down a path where I was going to be 100% dependent on my employer for my livelihood. And for some people, that's fine. I just I'm not that person like but I didn't realize it, if I wouldn't have had that painful moment that said I'm missing a birthday party. I want to be there because I want to be a present dad, and I'm not where I'm supposed to be. I was torn up inside because I was not aligned, and I knew that I was at the time, dependent on my employer, because I wanted to be promotable, because that was the way that I was going to continue to show that I was able to provide for my family. But I realized that, you know what? Yeah, I needed to be promotable. I had to be there. I had to be in line. I wanted to consider. Consistently be working, and it started on the weekends, and I was working on the weekends, and I was working in the evenings, and I was working early, early mornings, on my day job, by the way, all the time. But then I realized, you know what, I can't be 100% dependent on my employer. This is gonna go like, When will this ever, ever stop? When will I have the feeling that this can stop, oh, I would find out later on, you can still be a very productive employee, extremely productive, so much that you can even be in the top talent program. I was, and I was building a multiple six figure side business, and I was doing the things that I wanted to do, because I wanted to do them and I could, that's the beauty of it, right? That's where things start to get different. Because if you don't recognize this, it's very easy to fall into a trap of being consistently overwhelmed, working all day, working all night, and overlooking the thing that matters the most to you, whatever that is for everybody, it's a different thing. For me, it was about being present for my kids, for my family, and being able to provide for them, financially, emotionally, all of that, it still is right in a new dynamic. It still is. And so the thing is, when I start thinking about all of the things that I went through, and I start thinking about it now I think about the plan that I had, and that started to form the basis of the plan that I have today, which is actually even around my executive edge advisory program that I talk about every once in a while. But what I realized is when that moment happened in the truth about, you know, when you want something bad enough that pain moved me to action. It helped me to create the foundation of the executive edge advisory program that is helping other high paid executives that was in the same that that are in the same situation that I was in many years ago, not have to go through the same pain, not have to go through the same suffering, gain more clarity soon, on, sooner than I did, so that you don't have to go through that pain, or not the same pain. Maybe you have to go through your different type of pain. And I can tell you, when you have somebody that's there by your side, it feels a little different. No, actually, it feels a whole heck of a lot different, especially when that person is not part of your day is not the same person that's in the in waking up with you in the morning, or that's there in every other major decision in your life. It's great to have an outside in perspective. I know it was great for me. Yeah, and like I said, when you have clarity, and you can get crystal, quantifiably clear on what it is that you want to do, why you want to do it in the lives of the people that you love the most, that it this is this. This decision is going to impact and change positively. Oh, it feels good. Let me tell you. And the thing that I also started to realize is that if you do this on your own, you can do it because you're a high achiever, you know you can do it. You know what? The thing is going to take you a lot more time. And let me tell you, time is the one thing that you do not like. You don't get an unfair advantage about time because you get the same 168 hours a week, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, that everybody else on this earth gets, utilize them, leverage them appropriately, because if you do not, you and those that you love pay the biggest price. And so if we think about this, yes, I missed my son's third birthday party. And I told you this is about being able to give you the truth about when you want something bad enough, what happens? The pain of missing that birthday party was a self inflicted pain, right? One that I can talk to my son about today. You do the math, you can figure out more or less where he is, depending on when you're listening to this. But the thing that completely impacted my life and helped me to understand that the truth about when you want something bad enough, what can happen. What I received from that event was I knew that I could not only lean into my corporate role, I could excel in that role. I could go beyond what the key performance indicators, KPIs, if you're picking up what I'm putting down, you understand you can still be top talent. And because this is what I realized when I wanted something bad enough I wanted to continue to contribute to very large, multi, multi million euro problems, right? Combining forces with other really smart people to solve really big problems. Problems, and at the same time, I could gain more control over my time, which meant my life and investing it with the people that I love the most. I didn't have to do it wasn't an either or. I was able to do this, and that I was able to perform in my corporate role and build a multiple six figure side business that gave me the freedom to control my time. I was happy when I went into the office. I was even a happy corporate employee. That's what I put on my LinkedIn moniker. Go if you can check it out back in the day, that was what it said. Doesn't say that anymore. I still really enjoyed what I did during my corporate role, and was able to build something on the side, happy employee and business owner and in control of my time. I want the same for you. If I did it, you can do it. What's holding you back? I don't know if you feel like you got to get in touch. Well, you know where to find me, like Dion says, and I say, every once in a while, I ain't hard to find. And if it's not you and you know someone who's suffering from this, share today's episode. Share the episode just, just forward it. Just send it over to him on whatever player you want to do, Apple, Spotify, whatever, or any of the others. Share it. We're on all of them. And as you do that, pick up the phone, call them, show them that you love them, show them that you care. Talk about the episode. And while you're doing that, guess where I'm going to be? Right here. Yes, right here, preparing for the next episode. So until then, go out and make it a great day. And thank you very, very much. Today's episode is sponsored by Billy Keels advisory services. If you want to learn more about how to make your 99 optional, just go to make it optional.com. Once again, that's make it optional.com.