Introduction:

A major career transition is full of opportunities and challenges. It can be exhilarating and traumatic at the same time. Transitioning from Corporate America to starting your own Small Business is even more of a mix – of daring dreams and sobering reality, of promises made and fulfillment delayed, of expecting instant wealth and discovering current expenses. I could go on and on…. But, above all, it’s an unforgettable life experience that will ensure your personal and professional growth.

I started on this journey at the age of 55 after spending 30 years in one of the largest U.S. corporations. However, I have observed these experiences are quite common, albeit in differing degrees, among many people across the age, industry and socio-economic spectrums. In other words, my experiences likely will be yours as well.

Looking ahead to our life after Corporate America, my wife and I started our own small business, Helping Hands Innovations (HHI) in 2011. Five years later, upon my wife’s retirement and my lay-off, we arrived at a point in our lives when we decided to devote our energies to making it a successful enterprise and, by doing so, help others.

Each one of us who has chosen to arrive at this transition point will have taken a different path to it. Each of us will experience our journey ahead differently. Each of us will create our own individual future. And, although we each are responsible for our own future, we must be ever-mindful of the impact our actions will have on those around us, especially our family, friends and colleagues. They, too, will experience the change. Keep in mind the old adage about casting a pebble and creating ripples across the lake.

Change is inevitable. After all, we experience change with every breath we take. How well we prepare for a major career change will determine how high we stack the odds in our favor. How well we execute will determine how much we succeed.

Many good people have helped us along the way and we would not be where we are without them. We have a long way to go and we will continue to seek their guidance as we move forward. In turn, I would like to share with you my own experiences, learnings and observations with the intent of helping you be better prepared, avoid common pitfalls and accelerate your success.

I am planning a blog post every two weeks on matters of relevance, in a roughly chronological sequence. Not everything I share will be directly relevant to your particular situation, but you likely will find some parallels and, with some tweaks, be able to leverage them for your benefit.

I invite you to join me on this journey and share your stories as well on Facebook and Twitter with the intent of helping others and contributing to the greater good.