Recently, I was reminded why I pursued being an independent meeting planner in the hospitality industry. Full disclosure, this post is coming from a message I heard from my pastor that he themed ‘the one who wasn’t there’.

Certainly, his message was more philosophical and had a greater meaning than what I am sharing. However, it made me think back and remember my ‘why’…why I chose this career path. He told stories about a parent that missed the school concert, ballgame or stayed late in the office and could not help with homework. These parents met the criteria of ‘the one who wasn’t there’.

There are other examples professionally; missing an office event, skipping a community service project or not being engaged with your fellow team members to help with the big presentation. These professionals chose to be ‘the one who wasn’t there’. It can also happen in our personal lives; choosing not to attend the family reunion, wedding, neighborhood cook-out or golf outing with your college friends. These family and friends also were ‘the one who wasn’t there’.

Being in business for myself in the hospitality industry was the best decision I ever made. It has allowed me to be present for all the key events with my family, be accessible and provide excellent service to my customers and has enabled me to have balance personally and professionally. It has allowed me to dream and achieve this quote: “When you’re in business for yourself, you write your own history, you write your own success story, you write your own legacy and most important, you write your own paycheck,” Jeffrey Gitomer, best-selling author.

We have many choices as we progress in our careers. Please choose the path that will enable you to be ‘the one who was there’.