I've heard it a lot. Veterans leave the service and get a job in the corporate world... but they can't stand it. The camaraderie, if any, is much weaker. Worse yet, it's just meetings all day. Meetings! The topics seem unimportant, the goals seem pointless. Things move at a snail's pace. There's no urgency.

It's not gratifying. We can't see the client, or our impact on them.
Don't these people get it? Don't they know there are pressing issues in the world? WHAT AM I DOING HERE?
If someone asks me one more time if I've "got a case of the Mondays", I'm outta here.

I'm not a veteran, but I get this part. I'm allergic to the corporate world and unproductive endless meetings.
What is our direction? Where is the sense of purpose? Why is there no motivation?
I'm allergic to stagnation. For years, I thought there was something wrong with me; that I was avoiding work. But that wasn't the case. I just wanted more. Everything has to be meaningful all the time for me: Real relationships, real connections, real work.

I have to see the impact of my work.

One day, on the one-year anniversary of my time at a large corporation, it was Pizza Day. I picked up one of the pizzas and walked out the door. That was around 10 years ago, and I've been running my own business ever since.

I perform tech support services for seniors, in their homes so they don't have to lug any heavy equipment anywhere or set anything up themselves. What I discovered when I began is that this is a highly under-served market. Worse yet, they constantly fall prey to nasty scammers and "sales bros" who sell them things just to make their quotas. For the first time in my career, I felt as though I was making a huge impact. I'm free from any red tape, and the few meetings I've had were necessary impactful ones, forming alliances in my industry so I can refer people to trustworthy vendors.

I love impressing my clients, dramatically improving their digital lives, and blowing away their expectations. I love when I can save them hundreds of dollars a year by shaving off unnecessary services. At this point, I'm starting to teach apprentices so they can go out there and help the seniors they know, which amplifies my impact even more.

Many/most people who work at a small business have a lot of responsibility; we have to wear many hats. We receive the excitement, stimulation, and satisfaction of a day well spent. So when you come home, don't think that you have to settle for anything unfulfilling, no matter where you end up. I'm happy to answer any questions you have.

Special thanks to Sgt. Tim McGuire for proofreading.