I used to believe that happiness and success could be found at the top of the corporate ladder.

That false belief drove me to play that game for years... to scratch and claw from all-commission sales to leading high-caliber sales organizations pushing Fortune 500 solutions.

Over the course of 15 years, I made my way to the top in the sales world... all the way to highly coveted VP and Director roles...

While I was "successful" by all conventional measurements, I felt far from it... I was miserable.

No Time – Family functions, friends and hobbies were eliminated over time as I needed to devote more time to my career.

Not Enough Money – My salary and benefits were great, and I can't complain about them... but after modest home & auto upgrades and taking care of the my growing family, there wasn't much left over... I was far from rich... I was just comfortable and left wanting more.

No Control – I had seen friends' and colleagues' jobs eliminated through restructuring and their lives shattered, even when they were loyal and went above and beyond in their roles. I lived in fear because I knew that others were in control of my career and future... I was not. 

No More Hope – When I reached the top of the corporate ladder, there was nothing left to look forward to. When I could no longer move up, I started moving laterally... same roles with different companies. Reality eventually set in... and I lost the hope for a better tomorrow that drove me through my early years.

Unrealized Potential – The worst part of it all was that I knew I was capable of more... I just had no idea what to do next.

Growing Stress - As my salaries increased, so did my stress. That stress bled over into my personal life... unfortunately, it was my wife and kids who suffered because of it... One day I woke up and was ashamed of the husband and father I had become. Ironically, I kept telling myself that the reason why I was working so hard was for them.