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In this month's edition I provide some of the backstory of several small decisions in my younger days that paved the way for the life that I have today.
There's also an update on new content available on my website - 4 eBooks and 3 distinct email series.
If I can add value to you in any way, please reach out.
I'm rooting for your success.
Prequel : What Enabled My Transition Away from Nationwide
If you read my story of transition over the past three years, you’re probably wondering how I was able to such a big, bold move to leave my career in my early 50s.
There are several plausible explanations – maybe he inherited money from his family, maybe his wife has a high paying job, or maybe he had an outsized gain from buying crypto?
No, no, and no.
This post is a bit of a prequel to that transition story…the truth is there is nothing sexy about what happened prior to me leaving Nationwide in 2024. However, that decision to walk away was enabled by a series of small, but important decisions over my life that paved the way.
My story is one of consistency compounding over a long period of time.
My family has never had money; my parents didn’t go to college. I was born to a teenage mother who turned 18 a month before I was born. Hand me down clothes and patched up jeans were the norm for me in elementary school, as one parent worked as a farmhand and the other struggled through being a waitress, and then a bank teller, and eventually a loan officer at our local bank. No one gets rich through such a path.
When I was in middle school, my parents divorced, which didn’t make money any more plentiful and added to the struggles, as my mom became a single mother with two kids and a low paying job.
I didn’t flourish in junior high, not that many people do, but the genesis of my climb out of those struggles began in high school.
So, what are the series of small decisions over the course of 40 years that ultimately allowed me the flexibility to walk away from a successful corporate career?
Below, I will outline eight notable decisions that paved the way:
1) Strive for excellence - In high school, I decided that I was going to do whatever it took to live differently from what I had seen my entire life. I knew there had to be more. I was going to figure out what it was and make a difference, so that my children did not have to live the way that I did. I became determined to go to college and began researching college options as a freshman. We didn’t have the resources to make a lot of college visits, but I wrote to the college admissions departments to learn as much as I could about each college as I could before filling out the applications on a typewriter.
2) Be willing to give up the good to accomplish the best - With the goal of going to college firmly in mind, I decided to give up the good in order to accomplish the best. I enjoyed and played multiple sports all of my early years. My freshman year of high school, I played 3 sports, moving from playing football in the fall to basketball in winter to baseball in spring. As much as I enjoyed participating in the sports and being on the team, I wasn’t an outstanding athlete, and I realized that I wasn’t going to reach my goal of going to college by spending a lot of time in athletics. However, my grades were outstanding, and I realized that my only chance to go to college was to stop playing sports and focus more on areas where I had a greater gifting, including my academic studies. Thus, I would take the most difficult courses that I could, attend summer gifted programs at colleges around Ohio, and do whatever I could to improve my chances of getting an academic scholarship.
3) Work hard & persevere - I had observed hard work and grit from my parents over the course of my entire life, and I decided to follow the same work ethic that I learned from them. Because I had witnessed their struggles, I knew that I could overcome any challenges that came my way. By the end of high school, my determination had paid off, as I ended up as a co-valedictorian and earned a full tuition scholarship to Ohio Wesleyan University. One notable quote from John Maxwell is “Everything worthwhile is uphill”; this so true, as the biggest accomplishments are only possible through hard work.
4) Keep learning / have a growth mindset – reaching college wasn’t the end of my journey to learn and improve myself; it was only the beginning. I interned at Nationwide the summer before my senior year of college, began taking Actuarial exams while I was still in college, and graduated summa cum laude from Ohio Wesleyan. Graduating from college also wasn’t the end of my education, as I continued to take Actuarial exams, read books, listen to audiobooks, attend conferences, learn from mentors, etc. Basically, I kept pursuing anything in my reach to keep learning. With the growth of the internet, this journey has only become easier and accelerated. I now watch and learn from YouTube, podcasts, Audible, etc. The possibilities are truly endless.
5) Volunteer to serve others – there were times where I volunteered for positions of responsibility that created new opportunities later because of what I learned in those roles. For instance, I was a Treasurer for our church and childcare center in my late 20s and early 30s. Now, twenty plus years later, what do I find myself doing? Using those skills that I learned in that role, as a church finance director. I had no idea back then how those skills would be useful down the road, but looking back, I can now see how vital that time was for allowing me to become who I am today.
6) Make wise financial decisions – do whatever it takes to reduce expenses so that you can save early and allow compound interest to work its magic. One thing that I found especially valuable was maxing out my 401(k) contribution, so that I could receive the full company match. If you don’t receive the full company match, you’re leaving money on the table. Make no mistake, this level of saving does require sacrifice along the way, but eventually, you will see the fruit. Along the way, when you do invest, choose wisely. See the “Deep Rooted Investor Manifesto” for more information on what I have learned about investing wisely.
7) Take intelligent risks, especially low-cost experiments – not everything that we tried worked, but the ones that did pan out were way above our expectations. I have created ventures that didn’t gain any traction. I was willing to fail and look foolish, in order to learn. However, some of those small steps of faith paid off well. For instance, coming out of the financial crisis, we took a chance on an undeveloped and discounted 2-acre piece of property that ended up appreciating when the area around us grew rapidly. Your low-cost experiment could just be the breakthrough that you need to move on to the next level in your life or career.
8) Value people – your relationships will change over time; you don’t know what connection that you make could change your life. Show up to be part of a community of like-minded people. Be intentional about who you spend time with, as they influence your destiny. Several times, we made the uncomfortable decision to meet new people and join new groups. In one notable instance, the friendships and connections that we made led to me being offered a new job from someone who used to be in a completely different industry from me. There is no way that we could have dreamed up something like that ourselves. Your presence may mean more than you know right now but keep showing up.
One bonus lesson for people of faith – trust God. He is good, and His presence is with you, even when you can’t see it. Romans 8:28 is so true.
I hope that these lessons are encouraging to you. If you have made any small decisions that turned out to be impactful, I’d love to hear about those decisions; shoot me an email at mail@deeprootedbelievers.com.
Note: if you would like to read the full story of my transition, you can find the material packaged in one of my eBooks:
- The Deep Rooted Journey: Seven Devotional Lessons for Navigating God's Call in Uncertain Seasons (faith-based content)
- Rooted and Resilient: A Reflective Guide for Navigating Life Altering Career Transitions (all audiences)
Update on New Content
I have been busy adding new content to the site, hoping to serve you better.
The resources page is a one-stop shop for everything that is available for free download.
A brief summary is below:
I now have 4 eBooks available:
Faith Based Audiences:
The Deep Rooted Journey: Seven Devotional Lessons for Navigating God's Call in Uncertain Seasons
My Deep-Rooted Purpose: A 7-Day Journey to Discover Your God-Given Why
All Audiences:
Rooted and Resilient: A Reflective Guide for Navigating Life Altering Career Transitions
My Deep Rooted Purpose: A 7-Day Journey to Discover Your Why
I have 3 email series available to join:
Deep Rooted Finances: A 30-Day Journey to Becoming a Sensible Steward (faith based):
Learn More | Access the Form to Register
Deep Rooted Investor: A 10-Day Devotional for Faith-Driven Stewardship (faith based):
Learn More | Access the Form to Register
Deep Rooted Leader: 7 Days to Lead with Clarity and Impact (all audiences)
Learn More | Access the Form to Register
I also created the Deep Rooted Investor Manifesto that summarizes some key learnings from 30 years in the investment industry.
Let's discuss how you can use your calling to multiply the kingdom of God!
I am passionate about helping people identify their Ephesians 2:10.
If you are inspired by my story of transformation, may be hearing the voice of God that He is calling you to make a change, and would like to talk with me about my experience, I am available for 30-minute no cost, online introductory consultations.
Not everyone is called to make the same kind of transition that I made, and that is OK. If you are gifted and called to stay in the marketplace, let's talk about how to develop a vision to use your strengths to multiply the kingdom of God. The most important thing is that each of us is faithful to our individual calling and using our gifting to multiply. We read the importance of multiplication in the Parable of the Talents.
To book a time, click here.
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Rooting for your success,
Scott
