#42: Develop Your Personal Hustle Culture

Here's the approach I used to build my life book over the past 28 years since graduating university. Frankly, I wish folks would think more about their journey rather than a constant focus on money. Money is a tool, not a destination.

Place value on experiences while securing life

It's intentional. It's practical. It's available to anyone who wants to give it a run. While I've been an entrepreneur/investor my entire adult life, a good portion of life fulfillment has come from traditional employment, from just being an employee focused on the experiences I could get out of it. My story goes something like this.

- Senior Midnight Police Officer (15 years)

- Management Consulting Executive (25 years)

- US Military - Lt. Colonel (R) / Federal Agent (22 years)

Did all three at the same time by lifestyle design. There's massive value in experience versus just chasing money.

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Consulting - right out of college. Client sites in different states and countries. Exposure to many technologies. Lots of travel, lots of opportunities to meet interesting people. Built enterprise level computer systems, strategic plans for private and public organizations, strategic advisor to more corporate and government executives than I can recall -- everywhere from the US Department of Defense, to Hong Kong, Irish and Spanish National Police Forces, to border security agencies in Sweden, Finland and Norway. Many skill sets and relationships I took with me. Turned down 7+ offers to leave for other companies. Loved every minute.

Military - earned 4 year scholarship to study Mechanical Engineering at University of Virginia in exchange for a 4 year service commitment. Gladly re-enlisted as it gives access to experiences around the world 99% of people will never see or understand. Commanding military police units, becoming a Federal Agent running field offices as Special Agent in Charge in Washington DC, Las Vegas, Germany, Haiti and Turkey, running cases and task forces in places like Somalia. In and out of embassies worldwide, meeting foreign dignitaries, chasing fugitives across borders, and joint operations with sister agencies like the FBI, ATF and DEA. Essentially a kid living out a dream. My favorite -- Special Agent in Charge of Detachment 523, Izmir, Turkey. My field office was downtown on the Aegean Sea. Lots of work in the south of the country on the Mediterranean Sea as well. That's what started my love for the region (where I live today). Deployed 4 times, mainly to middle east and Africa. Loved every minute.

Police - Got the idea to become a police officer after returning from a military deployment in 2004. As a Federal Agent I was giving to the world. I wanted to give to my local community. I did a search warrant in my Federal Agent role with the Montgomery County Police Department when I was in charge of the Washington DC field office at Bolling Air Force Base. In 2009 graduated their police academy and patrolled until 2021. What I loved about the work was simply being able to effect change where I lived. Stopping burglaries, finding missing children, performing CPR to save lives, carrying a woman out of a burning building down 7 flights, speaking to kids in schools. My youngest son called me Batman when I put the uniform on and left the house at 8:00pm for shift work. He was too proud. Like the other two experiences... Loved every minute.

The stories, the memories, the relationships, epic. But never under any illusion they'd last forever. Constant emphasis on investing and entrepreneurship to secure life (financially & something to do later) while having all those experiences.

Exited career highway onto lifestyle lane. Real estate investor, entrepreneur, life design & wealth coach, restaurant owner, all built while an employee.

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Develop your "Personal Hustle Culture"

Here's my blueprint. Develop one that makes sense for you.

- employment as modes of experience to fill the life book

- employer pay to create streams of income for basic needs

- employer pay & skills to build outside businesses along way

- once earned, focus on more experiences > money + promotions

- then focus shifts even more to kids, society, fulfillment, satisfaction

- never wait to live, fill the life book as you go, always

Loved my careers and leveraged them for the experiences provided. But was never under any illusion they would last forever.

Employment does not last forever; Your life book will

As good as my employment was, faced layoff 4 times. Showed me I was just a number regardless of my value. Learned over the years never wait to fill your book. Never wait to live. Always leverage 9-5 more than it leverages you. Use it for life experience, to gain skills and to build relationships. Use it to build your book while building outside business and other assets you can count on later. Because employment will eventually come to an end -- whether your choice or theirs.

Define and execute Personal Hustle Culture.

Looking back, glad I did.

Maurice

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