248 The One About Taking A Sabbatical
Today, I invited Aaron Walker AKA \u201cBig A\u201d back on the podcast to talk about his experience when he went on a two-month Sabbatical in 2021.\xa0
As a business owner, Big A founded 14 companies over the past 42 years, and going on a Sabbatical was a difficult thing to consider. But with the persuasion of many of his Mastermind group members and his doctor, he went on a Sabbatical on November 1st, 2021, completely unplugging from everyone except his family for the rest of the year. Aaron has credited his wonderful team and his executive assistant to whom he delegated tasks for keeping his business on the right track while he stepped away for two months.
I\u2019ve always thought that a Sabbatical is just a fancy word for rich people to take an extended vacation, but it was so much more. Aaron Walker opened my eyes to what Sabbaticals are truly about. More than that, I learned that the strength of the business isn\u2019t due to the strength of the business owner; the strength of the business lies with the team that the business owner has developed.
Bottom line: Aaron Walker will talk about his two-month Sabbatical and how it changed his life.
Your roadside friend, as you travel from client to client.\xa0
-Trace\xa0
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Timestamps:\xa0
Goal Setting with The \u201c12-Week Year\u201d [02:00]
Events in Water Treatment [04:31]
Welcoming Aaron Walker AKA \u201cBig A\u201d back to the podcast [08:00]
Aaron\u2019s Superpower: Giving hard advice in a caring and tactful way [10:33]
Deciding to take a Sabbatical and talking to the staff [15:15]
Dealing with the struggles of being a business owner stepping away from their business [18:45]
What is a good Sabbatical objective [24:36]
Aaron\u2019s day-to-day while on Sabbatical [26:50]
Aaron\u2019s advice to those who want to go on a Sabbatical [31:04]
How did Aaron\u2019s life, work, and relationships change post-Sabbatical [36:03]
Thinking On Water With James [47:21]
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Thinking On Water With James:\xa0
In this week\u2019s episode, we\u2019re thinking about how sodium hypochlorite, or bleach, controls microbiological growth? What\u2019s happening outside the microbiological cell? What\u2019s happening inside? What are the chemical species causing this? How much time is required to get effective microbiological control? How does pH impact these chemical species? Does the \u201creservoir effect\u201d soften the impact of pH? Take this week to learn more about sodium hypochlorite and its impact on microbiological growth.\xa0
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Quotes:
\u201cI help ordinary men become extraordinary.\u201d\xa0 - Aaron Walker\xa0
\u201cMy life\u2019s vision is motivation. Helping other people achieve their goals and dreams.\u201d - Aaron Walker\xa0
\u201cYou\u2019ve gotta say hard things often, (even though) these are things you don\u2019t wanna say.\u201d - Aaron Walker\xa0
\u201cI think we\u2019re designed to be in a community. Humanity is designed to have other parts around you that can supplement where you are possibly weak.\u201d\xa0 - Aaron Walker\xa0
\u201cI went into business to be able to have a lifestyle that I wanted to live. I didn\u2019t go into business to be a slave to the job.\u201d - Aaron Walker\xa0
\u201cIt was very telling of me, as an individual, taking a Sabbatical, because I\u2019m really having time now to reevaluate things that I was doing, that I wasn\u2019t really aware of.\u201d - Aaron Walker\xa0
\u201cBecause we\u2019re so busy and clouded with activities, we can\u2019t get to a point where we can really think through what we want to accomplish\u201d - Aaron Walker
\u201cYou have to experience a Sabbatical on your own. No one can convince or talk anybody into doing it. It\u2019s a leap of faith.\u201d - Aaron Walker
\u201cAt the end of six weeks [the Sabbatical], I was fired up, I was rested, I had a plan, and I was ready to come back.\u201d - Aaron Walker
\u201cEverybody can\u2019t do a Sabbatical initially, but you can set a target date to get yourself in a position to be able to do it.\u201d - Aaron Walker
\u201cWhat I really learned out of the Sabbatical is really doing a deep dive with myself.\u201d - Aaron Walker
\u201cI\u2019m not where I want to be, but I\u2019m a lot better off than I was.\u201d - Aaron Walker
\u201cI was amazed by the depth of my thinking. I was able to think through what I wanted to accomplish.\u201d\xa0 - Aaron Walker
\u201cWe're so busy and so clouded with activities we cannot get to that level.\u201d\xa0 - Aaron Walker
\u201cMy Sabbatical in one word would be \u2018Energizing.\u201d\xa0 - Aaron Walker
\u201cWe're a lot better off being an inch wide and a mile deep because the riches are in the niches.\u201d - Aaron Walker
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Connect with Aaron Walker:
Phone: (615) 207-3018
Email: aaron@viewfromthetop.com
Website: ironsharpensironmastermind.com
LinkedIn: in/aaronwalkerviewfromthetop
TuesdayNoon.Live with Aaron Walker ( Streaming Every Tuesday at 12 PM CST)
View From the Top\xa0\xa0
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Links Mentioned:
244 The One About Water Treaters For Clean Water (with Steve Spear of Team World Vision)
184 The One Where I Interview My Mastermind Mentor (with Aaron Walker)
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Events:
International Conference on Biological Wastewater Treatment Technologies and Systems \u2013 June 2 to 3 in New York, NY
NRWA In-Service Training \u2013 June 7 to 9 in Anaheim, CA
\xa0Join Team Scaling UP! Nation or make a donation HERE
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Books Mentioned:
The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington
Atomic Habits by James Clear