A little while back, I spoke to a group of peers about my life and career. Afterward, I had dinner with a friend who had attended my presentation, and he caught me off guard with a question.
He asked, “Gary, I loved your story. What has been the best thing about your career?”
I had to think for a minute (or several).
I eventually told him that there’s nothing better than being united around a single mission.
I’ve been part of teams that were unified around a common goal three times in my career. At my first MSP, it was about being an MSP in a way no one had ever done before. No one had ever built a truly proactive MSP at that time. My team was aware that we were part of something special. We weren’t just fixing problems — we were preventing them before they happened.
TruMethods was similar. We all shared the goal of leaving this industry better than how we found it. We challenged conventional wisdom because we believed in something bigger than ourselves.
Today, I’m getting another chance with our TruMethods Peer and Powered Services Pro team. There’s something magical about starting fresh with lessons learned. Our team brings diverse perspectives but shares a unified vision.
As our conversation continued, my friend asked, “So it’s the mission that drives people, not money?”
I said that money was a big motivator early on when I didn’t have any. Like many entrepreneurs, I started out hungry — both figuratively and sometimes literally.
Then, I used business planning to help me think about money less. I spent time planning each year, quarter, and month so that in between, I could focus on having fun with my team and the mission. This structured approach to finances allowed me to be present in the day-to-day operations.
Once I reached the point in my life where money was no longer the biggest motivator, things got interesting. I made better decisions and enjoyed the process more. And the funny thing is that was when I made the most money — when money was only the result of the mission.
There’s no better feeling than being a part of a team where everyone is aligned on the why of the business and where everyone feels like what they do really matters. Customers sense this unity and are naturally drawn to organizations where people genuinely believe in what they’re doing.
When you get in that sweet spot, everyone feels it. The work doesn’t feel like work anymore. Looking back now, I realize that those moments of perfect alignment with talented, passionate people — that’s the true wealth my career has given me.