Phil's Story

When my business partner first told me I had to undertake aspirations mapping with Bruce as part of our company amalgamation, I was skeptical. I thought it would be a session of twaddle and fanciful discussion - honestly, just a waste of time for both my wife and me.

We arrived at the meeting trying to stay open-minded. Bruce asked us questions that, I realize now, neither of us had considered in a very long time. After owning my business for over 15 years, you'd think we would have had these conversations, but we hadn't.

The aspirations mapping process was truly eye-opening. What I discovered was that I had lost myself in the business without even realizing it. My focus had become all about business growth and getting ahead - but to what end? I was completely engulfed by the company and didn't see it until Bruce helped us work through his process. This realization came at the right time - at 50, I'm not old, but putting it off much longer would have eaten into the time we have left to enjoy the things I had forgotten I wanted.

The session helped me rediscover why we started our company in the first place and what we were truly trying to achieve. Bruce redirected our focus back to us as people, something that had been lost to the daily demands of running the business.

Perhaps most importantly, I learned things about my wife and her desires for life that I had either never known or had simply forgotten while being consumed by the company's needs.

I cannot stress enough the importance of doing this early in your company's life. Our lives don't stop or go on hold - they erode with time as we focus on the business. It's far too easy to think the business is all we are. Bruce helped me realize I am more than my company and it was time to start living again.