The Adventures of Mike Ferguson

Entrepreneur vs. Burnout

I started my company (Ferguson Behavioral Health Consulting nine months ago, and since then, I've flown all over the country, going and going and going with nary a breath. Lots of entrepreneurs go through this period of craziness, often for years. And I admit, when I'm in the thick of a business trip, work is busy and there's a bit of that controlled chaos happening, there's a certain rush that is attractive. Is it the rush that keeps us going? I think those of us who take a risk and go out on their own like the swings- the natural ups and downs of business, and the illusion that we, as business owners, maintain control.

What's attractive to me about being a business owner is the creativity- the ability to navigate difficult channels while keeping all the balls in the air. That's the allure here. That's the stuff that makes me, and other entrepreneurs, tick. And what keeps us going when we're packing yet another bag for yet another trip- like I'm doing right now.

Here's a quick article on navigating symptoms of burnout.

And my quote of the day, from one of my favorite authors, David Foster Wallace. This is what I keep in mind when I hit the road yet again. Because after all, this is what it's all about.

"The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day."

A good thing to remember when business seems to be the major focus.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Creating something new...

After developing a sizable following blogging about all things addiction on Addiction Tomorrow, I figured it was probably time to start something a little different. As a hardcore Seth Godin disciple, I thought now would be the time to develop a stronger personal brand not only within my industry but now branching out creatively. Personal branding has become something of a passion for me that has worked rather well in expanding my own network as well as the network of the companies for which I'm a consultant. 

Really, my whole idea is that everyone should decide what their personal brand should look like- maintaining control on how they present themselves to the world. If we lose control of how we look online and in a public forum, then we've immediately lost the ability to control our environment. And, in business, that's not a good thing.

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