The Yuppie Homesteader

At 49 years old, I had been a CEO for 12 years. I had long achieved the dreams that had kept me constantly working and I was proud of that. I was also so proud to be a part of a team that had taken over a small, struggling organization and brought it into full bloom. But, I had also changed. It would be a series of changes, actually, that brought me to the precipice of this change. And each in turn would not seem consequential. Until, of course, they were.

It was a beautifully sunny day in May and summer was about to burst open. Slowly, two things had been dawning on me. One was selfish: I wanted a simpler, easier life. The other was shaming: I had been “around” for the hard times with family and friends but I was often absent during the good times. It felt like they didn’t need me when times were good and I could go back to work. Instead, I limited them and me to a one-dimensional relationship.

So there I was. I had turned down a job offer six months ago to work part-time and from home where I could still do meaningful work but at a much slower pace. It was one of those once-in-a-lifetime deals I had passed on. There was no reason to think it would come around again. But it did.

And I said yes.

That’s the end of the biggest chapter of my professional life. In saying yes, I started a whole new life. One with the most precious commodity available to me: time.

This is now my story of how it happened, how I got to where I am today and how I live differently. Hopefully, it’s funny and a little sad; it’s filled with hope and pragmatism; and it remains uniquely authentic and honest. This is as me as it gets.

My biggest hope, however, is that it truly celebrates a simple life. A little over three years after that fateful decision in May, I live differently now. This is my journey.