My dad built his law practice from the ground up – back in the days when “networking” meant joining clubs and organizations to meet people who might become potential clients.
It was hard work, and a lot of hours spent away from the family making the contacts necessary to be a success.
When the time came to think about stepping away,
I remember him feeling a bit let down that neither my sister nor I had ever been interested in following him into the law. I briefly considered it, but ultimately chose to pursue my passion, which has always been writing. He ultimately ended up passing his active client list on to other, younger lawyers in the firm he had founded with two other entrepreneurial lawyers.
That was the first time I realized how difficult it can be for an entrepreneur to start – and leave – a business, and as I said, in those days building a law practice was definitely an entrepreneurial effort. There were no salaries to help you get started as there are in firms today – “I don’t get paid until a client comes through the door,” my dad was fond of saying – and closing a big case was always cause for a family celebration.
I know that leaving the law practice he’d worked so long and hard to build left a hole in his life, one that like many retirees, he tried to fill with projects and hobbies.
Writing for Prime, and interviewing countless entrepreneurs over the years – many of them mid-life career changers – I’ve often wondered if the situation my father faced was a common one for other entrepreneurs when it came time to move on from their business. When Ann Rogalski – whom I’d met when our son, Evan, attended first her preschool and then her kindergarten – made it known on her school’s Facebook page that she was stepping away from Make Way for Ducklings, the business she’d founded and run for 40 years, I asked her if she was wiling to share the experience with readers, and potentially, other small business owners facing a similar decision. I’m grateful she said “yes.”
Like my father’s law practice, hers was a business built from a passion, and one that was equally difficult to decide to step away from. Fortunately, she was able to find someone just as dedicated that was willing to take over the Duckling’s “nest.”
Rogalski shares how she came to the decision – and the steps she’s put in place to reach that goal – with us in this month’s feature story. I’ve also included advice from the website FitSmallBusiness.com, on how other entrepreneurs can begin the stepping away process themselves, when they are ready. If you know someone contemplating making that change in their business life, I hope you’ll share the information. As always, thanks for reading,
Debbie Gardner
dgardner@thereminder.com
