Fearless at forty - for men that feel the need for more

blog 2017

10 June

There is something special that happens when a man reaches forty years old, they don't really give a crap what others think. Just look at what we wear for god sake!

It could be the good old mid-life crisis kicking or perhaps a reaction that all their hopes and dreams of becoming a professional football star are fading from reality. Something mysterious happens at this age, brought on by being fat and follicly challenged, giving up on the residual body image perception we had of ourselves when we were twenty. It messes with our reality. What we thought we would be when we were young, might not be where we are now. So something snaps and we want to bust out and do something radical before it's too late!

We start to do strange things. Buy Mustangs or Harly Davidson motorcycles, get tattoos, jump out of planes, date inappropriately young girls, visit Vegas, start a band, do cross fit or buy a cafe/bar. The things we had on our bucket list all start to seem urgent. 'Honey, of course, I need to drive my mustang across America!" Like it's some kind of birthright.

These activities are all good choices, in my opinion, but I wonder if this energy could be better directed into something more meaningful. Maybe instead of converting angst of busted dreams into a cliched guys movie. Could we use it productively to address the real problem?

Knowing a lot of guys in this age bracket, I think most are just looking for some excitement and meaning from life. Their work isn't providing the juice it once did. It pays the bills, keeps their family fed and has some nice perks, but what really are they achieving? Does it make a difference to anyone? I guess you could call this an existential crisis. The feeling of being phucked half way through your life, looking at the next 20 years doing the same old and wondering if there is another way.

So what do you do? Some dust off the 20-year-old bucket list and start spending large! Or do you quit your job and start a new, more meaningful career?

My view is you get your shit together, man up and address the real issue. If your career juice isn't worth the squeeze, do something about it! Make a difference, do the work, get to the gym and stop buying expensive band-aids.

If you want to figure your shit out, here is a free online assessment you can do in the privacy of your own office and work out what you really want in life. It's up to you how you process this stage of life. But as Yoda once said "do or not do, there is no try".

Go!

P.S. Coupon code for free course: I'm avoiding a midlife crisis

Andrew Ford

Marketing expert Andrew Ford, the founder of Social Star, has discovered the secret of ‘Powerful Branding’. With a fire for unleashing people’s inner brand and developing business models to generate profit from an individual’s passions, Andrew leverages ground-breaking digital and social media marketing techniques to create digital strategies for clients to attract maximum opportunities. Having established a strong name for himself in the field, Andrew blends traditional business techniques with now-necessary tools for entrepreneurs to achieve scale, quality, and influence in their niche. Andrew’s comprehensive business background and qualifications consist of a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) (RMIT 2003), a Graduate Certificate in Management (MBA Executive Program, University of Sydney 2005), and a Masters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (Swinburne University 2011). Continually on the cutting edge of his own education, Andrew has tested his marketing theories in forums such as the BCG Business Strategy Competition, which he won in 2005 against all Victorian MBA schools, and the Venture Cup Business Plan Competition (Swinburne University 2003), which he won in the Masters category. With experience working at Hewlett-Packard, Sensis (Telstra) and IBM, Andrew also has mentored dozens of junior staffs to help them achieve their professional goals. Meeting and influencing high-profile public figures helped Andrew to realise just how many professionals require more understanding and control of their public brands or appearance, and need help with the skills to use the many amazing free tools at their disposal to generate success. At Social Star, Andrew consults with clients to uncover their personal brand – both where it is today and where it can be tomorrow – and refine and define how that should be displayed in social media in order to attract their perfect target audience. Andrew mentors his clients to rapidly grow their business’ audiences, resulting in larger potential client bases and higher revenue. Applying formulas that integrate over twenty years of Andrew’s business experience and fifteen years of formal business education, Social Star specialises in building clarity and velocity for clients’ brands using the ‘Understand, Build and Leverage’ methodology. ‘Having a Personal Business enables people to have an authentic, congruent connection with their valued clients and partners, using their brand as the bridge,’ says Andrew. ‘I’m highly driven to work with the new breed of entrepreneurs and small business owners – people who have a passion for making the world a better place. Traditional business models are stepping aside as people follow their innermost dreams and my role is to see them operate within their values while creating wealth. Some people think you have to sacrifice what you love to be successful in your business, yet it is actually the opposite. Follow your passion and success will come.’ Lecturing at Swinburne University from 2009 to 2011 on brand dynamics and digital marketing, presenting at numerous conferences, and consulting to hundreds of clients, Andrew has seen his philosophy work that if you follow your unique path, based on your skills, experience, values and goals, you will automatically attract the opportunities you desire and achieve the success you deserve. Living his mantra, Andrew has created a successful business and attracts high-profile clients including musicians, athletes, authors, models, entrepreneurs, professionals and small business owners, helping them find their ‘why’ in their business and fulfilment in their lives. Business for Andrew is more than work, it’s personal. Running a personal business means that he is able to fulfil all of his values rather than separating his life from work. It supports his two boys while providing social opportunities, educational development, fitness opportunities, spiritual fulfilment and many valuable friendships. Social Star has now become the vehicle for Andrew to crystallise his mission in the world, to help people love what they do, supporting his ‘why’, that if more people loved what they did, the world would be a better place.

http://www.andrewford.com.au/

Fearless at forty - for men that feel the need for more

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