Todd’s decision to leave his family’s business even after he tried unsuccessfully to grow it is a wonderfully complex life decision.

I always hated the expression that my father told me (I think he was quoting Vince Lombardi) that “Quitters Never Win and Winners never Quit”. What a bunch of hogwash! Winners know when to quit. Winners know when to move on to something else. There is no shame in business surrender.

Sometimes when you quit your current adventure it can be rejuvenating. Closing one door can open up the possibility of others opening. My friend Beth Finke, who wrote the book, “Long Time No See” talks how when she finally lost her sight after 20 years of diabetes and countless surgeries, she was relieved. She had been previously living between the seeing world and the blind world. When there was no possiblity of her seeing again, she could begin her life as a blind person.

In my book, I talk about when I was running my own businesses, there are many days I wanted to stop the world and get off. We all know if can get rough. How do you know when to quit and move on? Remember what Gene Autry said “If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing you need to do is stop digging”. Evaluate where you are and the passion you have for your current endeavor.

Consolidating your gains or minimizing your losses can be the best course for you to take. Decide what you can learn from this decision. Next Path…

But the path that Todd has selected to take would be a hard one for me. I always thought that I had the easier job of going to work everyday and not staying home with our infants. At least at work, people pretended to listen to me.