I keep having to remind myself that ALL of life's experiences are for our good, as another door closes ... others open.
Somewhere along the line I used my free agency and chose to live the life of an entrepreneur over a safe and secure "job." That choice has provided many experiences over the course of my working life that have molded me into the man I am today. I truly enjoyed the freedom and flexibility of not having the same environment to report to every day, the flexibility to coach a softball team, or attend parent teacher conferences, or just be around the family while I earned my way.
Why do we choose certain professions? I was accepted into Palmer Chiropractic School, having graduated from ASU in 1969, but after selling our home, quitting my job, and practically having the car loaded for the trip, Linda started to miscarry, and we were advised ... no, told NOT to even think about leaving town, by Linda's physician, who happened to be our neighbor as well.
So I begged the person who bought our home, to give it back ... they did. And I crawled into work, asking for my old job back ... but I got a better one. And our second child (Stacy) was born without complications ... and life continued on a different course that would lead ultimately to a career framed with variations of the real estate industry ... Real Estate Broker; Home Building and Land Development; New Home sales; Land Brokerage; Construction Management; Environmental Consulting; developing Gas Stations with the new attraction, Convenience Markets; and later developing and managing Retail Strip Malls and Travel Centers for clients.
Just before the recent economic "crash" I had associated myself in a partnership with a local real estate family to develop and manage self-storage facilities. We had accumulated 3 locations and were just minutes away from pulling the trigger on the construction of our first facility. Again, timing was against us and unfortunately (or fortunately) we pulled in our horns.
Throw in a few "specialized" detours such as starting a lumber company that merged with another company to become R&K Building Supplies; an LDS bookstore that became Desert Book on Mesa Drive; a metal building franchise that bit the dust in the first year; a very successful Independent Amway Distributorship; a Dairy Queen franchise in Tempe; a Published Author (magazine articles); a paid Public Speaker and Trainer; a Merchant Services Representative in the credit card and financial services industry; and most recently a Project Manager at a local Extended Stay Hotel.
If you are reading this blog, you probably have already received an email announcing my recent affiliation with Keller Williams Realty East Valley. Wow! has the real estate industry changed since I opened my doors in 1974 with Malone Realty & Investments and then Old West Realty.
Today, there are specialists for everything! You can be a Buyer's agent, a Seller's agent, a Transaction Coordinator, an Open House sittee :0) ... An REO, Short Sale, Foreclosure Specialist with professional designations. All I wanted to do was to serve people with problems to solve. That is what I have done all my life and continue to do today. A long-time client of mine quipped the other day "We don't give you anything easy do we?" No they don't, but then, why would they?
I look forward to the next chapter in my life. It certainly is not called "retirement." My "gun for hire" persona invites all sorts of future challenges and accomplishments. If you know of anyone that might benefit from the cinemascopic (is that a real word?) view of life I have chose to call "ChuckHasSolutions.com" I would appreciate the referral.
So stay tuned for the development of the next chapter ... in the life of Gun for Hire, Chuck Malone.
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