Death of an Insurance Salesman

Want = Lack

Want = Lack

Want = Lack

Yours sincerely

Life

You never bring into your life what you want, you bring into your life who you are today.

I grew up in extreme wealth in Scotland my grandfather bought a castle in the 1970s it came with a petrol station, church, burial ground, 6 farms, lakes, 6 cottages, forests, 3000 acres, onsite streams rivers, ponds, and secret passages. The wine cellar was in an actual hill the list goes on, it was one of many of his properties.

His father was an entrepreneur who built an insurance company in 1904, and my grandfather exploded it. At 35 years old he was running 36 companies globally, and by the time he died, he was one of the top 5 world insurers. After his death, his company continued to grow eventually merging with the wonderful AON PLC. The name AON Reed Stenhouse the Canadian arm of AON PLC represents the legacy of the two major historical entities merging.

He scaled companies globally with lethal precision and relentless energy, across the globe. He was adored and feared by competition, but, a man who changed lives just by meeting him.

Sadly, he died abruptly on a dark country road, chauffeur driving, on a cold night. There was a lorry across the road; his heavy Silver Ghost Rolls slammed straight into it, a big man he inevitably broke his neck (there was no headrest in those days) he didn't stand a chance. His chauffeur unscathed. When it's your time it's your time and I think the good do die young.

He left 4 unforgettable lessons;

1. The whole world belongs to the man who believes he owns it.
2. Who you become inside, matters.
3. Money reveals character.
4. Make your own money.

For a long time, I hated inherited wealth, to me it meant; drain, greed, backstabbing, fighting, manipulation, jealousy and bad intentions.

In my eyes, it destroyed, eroded.  I also never liked that everyone was fighting over someone else’s money, It seemed ridiculous: Make your own.

I appreciate that my type of thinking isn’t for everyone.

So at 17, I wrote a letter to my grandmother disinheriting myself. I look back now and realise how unusual that was, what courage, how insightful, what strength of character.  I instinctively knew the “in receipt” generation I was in, only meant suffocation and erosion if I stayed, I felt like there was no choice.

My grandmother was furious, how dare I? Of course, I was the one years later at my father’s funeral, she was practically clambering over the family chapel pews to talk to….oh I'm so sick of teaching people lessons.

When you realise that nothing is lacking then the whole world belongs to you

Oh, the freedom it brought. My mind opened to a new world, one of poverty yes, but not for long: I worked 3 jobs, sorted out my thinking and met my future business partner.

I think I had £30 in my bank when we started our first company.

The beauty of having nothing is you have nothing to lose……….

Sometimes what you think you want is just a deceptive ego, that will keep you trapped on a hamster wheel. It is a hell of a price if you live your whole life like that, when you give up wanting and switch your focus into putting the effort into improving your character, challenging society’s beliefs and refusing to not look away from the person staring at you in the mirror, life will gift you an unimaginable inside.

You become priceless.

So many people wear poverty as a badge, of the woe, that was dealt upon them (head in hands) real poverty is in a person’s mind. The generation above me that stayed for the money, the price paid was on a soul level.  Imagine what they could have achieved if they’d left.

Blind isn’t a stick tapping on a pavement, blind is not facing the truth, questioning why your company isn’t lifting off the ground, why the investment money isn’t coming in? Look at what needs to be changed.

Imagine if you took 100% responsibility for all business outcomes.

I may sound harsh, but I know I’m right. If you can’t find investment become the investment, create a fund, build a bank, or crowd fund.  If your company isn’t lifting off the ground, ask yourself how badly you want this? Are you working night and day? If a recession hits are you telling yourself it’s impossible, I’m telling you piffle paffel it’s not.

That thinking will move mountains because it will allow your mind, to find the business solutions you need........

I don’t care if you haven’t got a penny to your name, if you have a dream, a clear vision and a strategy, the gift of desperation will be your rocket fuel.

One thing I will say is to be careful, the moment you start succeeding you will have people wanting to take you down, unfortunately, success brings jealousy and an ocean of fake friends (when you stop needing approval you will cut them until then it’s your doing) Always be vigilant in business, no matter how much you like them. It’s still business.

We started every company with nothing, you just need your brain, your passion and a steel unwavering vision.

You may get redirected on your success journey, and many times, things will get taken away, you will get pulverised and the first company, 4th might not work. Dust yourself down, thank the lesson, and adjust, but keep moving forward: Never take your eyes off the vision in your mind.

You never bring into your life what you want, you bring into your life who you are today.

When you realise that nothing is lacking then the whole world belongs to you