This Sunday, May 29^th, 2022 will mark exactly 20 years since I started my career.

A young, clean-cut, in-shape, fresh college grad with wide eyes, a deep voice, and a relentless sense to outwork everyone around me had a whole lot to learn about the world and business. My very first employer, Martin Advertising, took a chance on me with very little to lose. My starting annual salary was $28,500, and I was totally in awe about how far I could spread a paycheck and how much I could live like a king compared to my buddies still in college. But someone looked at a P&L statement from Martin and probably said, “What’s it going to hurt to hire him? We are already short-staffed anyway,” and away my journey began.

The early days were epic in my mind. I would get to work before everyone and leave after everyone even if there wasn’t that much to do. I looked for what I could learn and studied everything I could about the automotive marketing business. It only took until about day 3 of that first week for me to know that I had found my calling. I was hooked.

From then, the days started to blur. Projects came and went pretty rapidly back in those days, and I was beginning to show I had some ability. And much to his credit, David Martin saw that and began to give me way bigger opportunities than he probably should have for my experience. I was invited to bigger meetings and asked to work on bigger projects, and my career was on a meteoric rise. It was fun in those days, and it was fast. A lot of moving parts, always on the phone, building projects, and selling services.

I truly had no idea how much I was failing.

Now there were no public failures; there isn’t a moment where I am going to say I went to a meeting and clammed up and couldn’t talk, but there were small failures every day. The failure early on to recognize the value of people. The failure to enjoy every minute of the day. The failure to realize it isn’t just you on a meteoric rise, it is the collective effort of everyone around you that is helping you succeed.  I was oblivious to it back then and for many years to follow.

Then, in 2004 with the financial help of my dad, Mike Strong, we bought a failing advertising company and had the goal of turning it around. Well, again I failed from day 1 in this endeavor. Thinking everyone would be willing to help me succeed, I couldn’t have been further from the truth. Most of the people in the company I had just sunk every nickel I had into didn’t really care for me (to put it lightly). There had been a culture in existence before I arrived, and I don’t think anyone liked my energy, speed, or what I represented. In truth, I think most of them wanted me to fail and probably only stayed employed at the company to watch it happen.

But through sheer grit and determination, and with the help of some really devoted people, the company was turned around and began to make an upward climb. All along, I was failing somewhere at something every single day.

Some days I would fail because I wasn’t brave enough, trying to hide from the issues that needed to be addressed. Some days I failed because I would try to micromanage people and get in their way of being successful. Some days I failed because I lacked a large enough vision of where I was going and was too conservative in my decision making. Other days I failed because I just acted like a jerk. To this day, I still have these days of failure. There are days when it’s hard to get out of my own way, and it limits my ability to grow. Some days are days when I don’t show enough appreciation to people who are working their asses off and all they want is a little praise.

Yep, the way I see it – I have failed at something every single day for the last 19 years and 363 days of my career.

If you know me well, your mouth may be on the floor because the guy who preaches “Attitude is Everything” has just gone on a total rant about failure. What the hell is happening?

The truth is, failing and the fear of failure have always been what drive me. I have been so afraid of failing that I am willing to do anything in order to be successful. Days, weeks, and even months of working nonstop to the ragged edge drive me to succeed because I simply will not accept failure. We all fail at something every day, and it is nothing to be ashamed of as long as you continue to pull yourself up out of bed the next day and get right back at it.

I’ve failed at life, friendships, relationships, marriage, and parenting, but I always keep trying. It’s the will to keep going that makes my motto “catch me if you can.”

Nineteen years and 363 days is a long time, but I wouldn’t be here and wouldn’t be where I am if it weren’t for having some type of failure every day and the willingness to get my ass up and keep marching forward.

There isn’t a phrase that I laugh at more than when I hear people say, “You should stop and smell the roses.” It’s never been in my DNA to want to stop and coast or simply sit back and let things just naturally happen.  Plus, from the fact I had major sinus surgery 5 years ago and caught Covid-19 at least twice that I know of, I really have no sense of smell anyway.

I read the quote this morning from NFL Hall of Famer Jerry Rice that says, “I am willing to do things that other people won’t do today, so I can do things tomorrow that other people can’t do.” This is a pretty accurate statement that describes how I think and act. Most people aren’t willing nor would ever want some of the stress, anxiety, or fear that comes along with what I do – let alone the time commitment it requires of long hours of travel, countless late nights on the phone and checking email, or the brutal nature that having responsibility creates.

So when someone told me the other day that I needed to take more time to “stop and smell the roses,” I looked them dead in the eye and said, “SCREW THE ROSES.” I showed up today to win and win big.

Now I have written notes about taking time off to enjoy my family and have fun, but to me, that is not the same as “smelling the roses.” The amount of time I owe my family to repay all the time and distractions I have on a daily basis will never be fully repaid. All the money in the world can’t replace time. You can only try to be better each day, and that is what I have tried to do.

But smelling the roses? Not for me, not at all.

Going wide open and doing more than even I can possibly fathom? Check Please! Sign me up for that and I will take that lifestyle, own it, and call it living my best life.

As I finish my day on April 6, 2022, I look at the clock and I have been sitting at my desk for exactly 12 hours. I got up early, worked out, showered, got to work, and was working by 7:15 a.m. I went through all day and had a wonderful day. To me, I’m not a person who gets frustrated by work. And many people would say, “well, no shit John Paul, you own the company. Your name’s on the building.” But to me, it’s not about that. It’s about the fun of winning. Because today was all about winning. Whether it was turning around a client that was going sideways, adding new clients to the ever-growing company roster, or sitting around some of the most inspiring people I’ve ever been able to work around who also work as hard as I do, it’s just fun.

But don’t think it’s not lonely, because it is. I’ll probably get home in time tonight to see three of my four kids before they go to bed. But that’s okay. Because, even though they’re young, I think they know what I’m working for. And I think they know why I’m working for it. Don’t think it’s not lonely, because it’s lonely as shit. Most everybody left at 5 p.m., a few people by 5:30 p.m., one person at 6 p.m. But, it’s just sometimes invigorating to be able to build something, watch something grow, and be a part of something.

That’s why I’m able to work the way I’m able to work. Don’t think it’s not lonely, because it is. But it’s also a hell of a lot of fun, and there is nothing else in the world I would rather do.

Lately, I have been wound a little tight.

The year is off to a roaring start, the company is getting record amounts of new clients, and I have several projects going on outside of the business that are rolling. Things are as busy as they have ever been, but it’s all moving like a bullet train. And it feels like every day there is some type of newfound personal drama going on that I find myself having to solve.  Most of this drama can be found inside the walls of the agency but occasionally something comes up outside as well.

I have never been one who deals with drama well. I tend to think along the lines of: things are either black or white. I don’t like to and have never lived in the gray areas, so when dealing with these situations it becomes very apparent that I have a short fuse. When operating my life at a very high rate of speed, I have always preferred that everyone who is along for the ride just sit down, shut up, hang on, and enjoy the ride. But I realize not everyone thinks that way, so moments of self-calming have to be applied so I don’t burn up everyone around me.

All this to say that thus far in 2022, I think I have been wound a little too tight.

So this week I am taking a remedy for that. I will be unwinding, down on an island with only 3 cares in the world.

1. Where’s the boat?
2. Where’s my beer?
3. What time are we eating?

I doubt there will be too much to wind me up this week, but if it does happen I am sure it will be in a much more peaceful setting. For many years, I never took time off. I believed that if I worked harder and more that it would lead to more success. Then about 5 years ago, it dawned on me how much of my life had gone by and how much of it had been strictly dedicated to working.

So, I started taking time for myself. And in taking this time for myself, I figured out it was a lot more fun to take time off in very cool spots, and it truly has made unwinding a lot more fun.