Here I am

Maybe it’s a mild mid-life crisis or maybe it’s just a new and exciting prospect, but either way it led to me deciding I may be qualified to produce a blog.
You see, October of 2017 marks my 10th year of owning and operating a small-town print/copy shop. Arriving at that 10 year mark, and at the age of only 33, kind of opened my eyes to the daunting task before me. Somehow I thought with 10 years under my belt I would be further along in my career, or rather the success of my career. I thought I would feel some sense of accomplishment, security, and all-around stability at this point. I mean, that’s nearly half-way to retirement, right???!!!
Well, what I came to realize is this:
A – Retirement is what I make it
I am responsible for creating a retirement for myself. I doubt any sort of dependable structure will be in place for Social Security at that point (even though I continue to pay in like a responsible citizen does). Because I am a small business owner, I am not enrolled in a company matching 401K or IRA program. So if I want to retire with any sort of financial stability, I’ve gotta plan ahead and make it for myself.
B – Retirement is a lot further away than I thought
Technically, I’ve been working for this company nearly 15 years; I just stepped up to the plate and bought out ownership 10 years ago. That means that on standard retirement plans I’ve only got about 10 more years to go…..WRONG! Between debts, kids, and creating a retirement for myself, I am looking at a good 20-25 more years. The good news is, that puts me at 53-58 years old. That’s not too bad….right???
C – Retirement…..will I ever be able to retire???
Well, refer back to exhibit A. If I plan ahead and take the necessary steps, YES, I should be able to retire. That’s up to me and all apart of the adventure I am in the middle of right now.

I guess nearing the 10 year mark I was somehow feeling a bit further along in life than I really was. But after celebrating my 10 year anniversary and reflecting on where I was, where I needed to go, and where I came from; I suddenly realized that I am quite green still. Like I said before, I’ve got a good 25+ years to go before I can, or should, call it quits on my business; and I am the father of a 2 year old and a 5 year old, so I’ve got a good 18-20 years there before freedom can be declared. But even in the youth of my personal life, and my business life, I have accumulated experiences in this short amount of time that may take a lifetime for others to accrue.
And so, here is my blog. I’d like to share the realizations I am having on a daily basis as I try to make the best of the next 20+ years.  I’ll also try to catch you up along the way with excerpts from past experiences; the things that created who I am now.  If I were to focus on my business, it would be empty because my fatherhood makes the stress and hard work of owning a business worth it. If I were to focus on my outdoor adventures, it would be unfair to my business because it is what makes those adventures possible. If I were to focus on my fatherhood, it would be hard to share what it really means because of the effort and sacrifice I put in at the business to provide for that family. All these things are apart of my life story and the juggling act is a constant feat as I move forward with my life. I have become #bossdad and I want to share my adventures with you. So welcome to BossDad Adventure Guide. I’ll be your guide, #bossdad, and I will do my best to share my experiences and adventures openly, and honestly, with you as we all work on the daily juggling act called life!