Admit it. Your business is your pride and joy, second only in importance to your family and closest friends. You’ve nurtured it, sacrificed for it, and painstakingly infused into it all of your passion and the best part of your personality. You know that the desire to be in business and an earnest work ethic are not enough alone to guarantee your business’ long-term success. The question is how do you ensure that your business will outlast your founder’s touch and yet maintain your vision and passion?

Mendel was a vice president at a large accounting and consulting firm. He loved what he did there, but he was burned out, and tired of pounding that billable hour. He came to me with pain in his eyes, and asked for coaching on how to move forward with his life. He wanted to launch his own business, but, frankly, Mendel had always been a worker bee. He wondered if he had what it takes to make the largely emotional leap to entrepreneurship.