25 Years of Bustin & Co. + 25 Timeless Guidelines for Leaders

Twenty-five years ago today the doors of Bustin & Co. opened and the journey towards finding my sweet spot in business began.

For the next 25 business days, I’ll share a short social media post: 25 of the best pieces of advice I’ve received, the most significant lessons I’ve learned (including many learned the hard way) and essential guidelines for today’s business leaders.

I’d love to hear from you. What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?

Find your sweet spot in business

When my firm opened its doors July 1, 1984, I figured it would become the crowning achievement of a successful career. I was both correct and mistaken. Five years into my ownership role, I was struggling. Over a beer with my father, I asked his advice:

“Do what you love with people you love at a place you love.”

“What about the money?” I asked. Most of the advice I had been given up to then had been about money, from getting a florida business checking account with the ability to offset fees, to cutting costs in this or that area.

“If you take care of those first three things,” he told me, “the money will come.”

With those few words, my father was encouraging me to find my sweet spot in business. It was clear I wasn’t in it. My firm’s growth camouflaged my discontent. 

Our sweet spot is where our personal values (what we’re willing to do) intersect with our experience (what we can do) and our interests (what we want to do).

A few months after our conversation, my business was still struggling. So I reluctantly heeded my father’s advice to find that sweet spot. However, things got even worse as I stumbled through valleys of failure and self-doubt.

Then little by little my new career took off. I began to find my sweet spot in business.

I’ve been in my sweet spot for nearly 17 years. Turns out my father was right about the money, too.