I moved to Columbia, South Carolina, a few months after graduating from Boston University for a job as a producer at the public television station, South Carolina ETV. I would be helping to launch a national, closed-circuit television program to train Head Start teachers and parents.
I was 21 years old and found myself in brand new surroundings, living in a completely unfamiliar part of the country, not knowing a soul.
There were so many unknowns. Would I like this job? Where would I live? Would I make friends? And the most pressing – why did the entire town go crazy over football games for the local college? (Did they ALL go there?)
It turned out to be one of the most rewarding jobs I’ve ever had and the biggest educational experience of my life – living on my own, in a different culture, and having to figure most things out on my own.
Not everyone is willing to go out of their comfort zone and try something new. But most find big rewards and payoffs when they do.
Like Jack Bender.
Jack was trying to make it as a painter in a small town in New Jersey, but he thought he could make a better living if he worked in a larger city. So, he left his young family during the weekdays and went down to Washington, DC to try his hand at painting there.
He slowly started landing jobs – and soon landed so many requests for more than just painting – that he decided to start a construction company. That company led to great success and the ability to give back to the community with the Bender Foundation.
Thomas Jefferson is credited with the saying, “With great risk comes great reward.” I find that to be true with so many of the successful families we interview. They were willing to travel with a few dollars in their pocket from overseas or attempt to start their own business from a small idea to create a better life.
September and that “back-to-school” feeling always feels like a fresh start. With that idea in mind, consider doing something new and adventurous that might involve a little risk. (Maybe it’s finally writing your own story!) You might find some great rewards.