A Career Ownership Carol

'Twas the night before a major career decision, and Ebe Snooze sat alone in his corner office, surrounded by spreadsheets and KPIs. Having spent 20 years climbing the corporate ladder, he'd become, well... let's just say he wasn't winning any "Boss of the Year" awards.

"Bah, entrepreneurship!" he muttered, deleting yet another LinkedIn message from a career coach. "Business ownership is for dreamers and risk-takers. Give me my predictable bonus and golden handcuffs!"

But that night, Ebe was visited by three spirits (no, not the kind he usually kept in his desk drawer for particularly tough board meetings):

The Ghost of Career Past showed him his first job, bright-eyed and full of innovative ideas before corporate politics dimmed his entrepreneurial spark. "Remember when you wanted to change the world?" the spirit asked. "Now you just want to change the coffee filters in the break room."

The Ghost of Career Present revealed his current reality: endless meetings about meetings, a schedule controlled by others, and the gnawing feeling that he was building someone else's dream instead of his own. His "work-life balance" looked more like a game of Jenga in an earthquake.

But it was the Ghost of Career Future who really shook things up. This spirit showed two potential paths:

Path A: Another decade of saying "let's circle back" and "let's put a pin in that," while watching his entrepreneurial colleagues build thriving businesses.

Path B: Taking control of his career destiny through business ownership, creating a legacy, and finally getting to use "synergy" in a sentence that actually meant something.

Ebe woke up the next morning a changed person. He realized that his fear of failure was just fear of success in disguise. That very day, he scheduled a call with a Career Ownership Coach (yours truly 😉) to explore his options.

The moral of our story? You don't have to be visited by three spirits to recognize that career ownership through business ownership might be your path to professional fulfillment. Although, if spirits are visiting you, hold off on major career decisions until you've had a good night's sleep and a strong cup of coffee.

Today, Ebe is a CEO, running his own successful business that aligns with his values, skills, and desire for autonomy. And yes, his company's holiday parties are legendary – turns out he had a generous spirit all along, it just needed the right outlet.

Don't wait for a ghostly intervention to explore your entrepreneurial potential. As a Career Ownership Coach with over 18 years of corporate experience myself, I can tell you that the scariest ghost of all is the one of "what if?"

Ready to write your own career ownership story? Let's connect and explore how business ownership might be your path to professional fulfillment. No spirits required – just a genuine desire to take control of your professional destiny.

P.S. Tiny Tim says to stop tiny thinking about your career potential. (Sorry, couldn't resist one last holiday pun! 🎄)