A moral failure.
Bobby Petrino, head football coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks, lost his job this week.
He lost his job after wrecking his Harley Davidson on April 1st. That wasn’t the problem. It wasn’t that there was a passenger riding with him. The problem wasn’t that passenger was Petrino’s mistress (Petrino is married with 4 children). No, having a mistress wasn’t really the issue.
The issue was Petrino using his position to give the woman a job within the football program – ahead of 159 other candidates – after he already gifted her $20,000. The real problem was he lied about the relationship on multiple occasions.
Life + Business matters.
Bobby Petrino had multiple opportunities to right his wrongs…namely telling his boss, athletic director Jeff Long, the truth.
It is sad. As mentioned above, Petrino is husband and father. On top of that, he built a top 10 football program, with top players returning in 2012. He tossed it away. His life got in the way of his art and business (yes, successfully coaching a major college program is an art and business).
How you live your life matters to how your business operates. It makes a difference in the art you create. They are intertwined; you cannot separate them.
And the scariest part…
We can hold it together for a while. We can make it look pretty on the outside. Eventually your life, business, art or all three will crash…and burn. Petrino has a history of telling less than the truth. Long described the relationship as having taken place over a “significant period of time.”
For Bobby Petrino on April 1st it all suddenly crashed and burned – literally and figuratively.
5 tips to keep from crashing and burning.
There is no silver bullet, single idea that will keep you from tossing your life down the drain. Here are 5 to start with:
- Regular time off. Find at least one day each week you have off. No work. No social media. Spend time with your family. Get away with your spouse for an evening. Whatever you need to disconnect from your business world.
- Reset. Beyond a day off a week, we need prolonged periods of time to disengage from business. Last year I attended the Storyline Conference, a non-photography seminar. It helped to ground me, AND it was an opportunity to spend 4-5 quality days alone with Kia.
- Connect. You need to interact on an emotional level with those closest to you. Are you connecting with your spouse? Are you engaged with your children? They will let you know if your work/life balance is too far off-line.
- Outside interests. Finding meaning and satisfaction outside of your work world is so gratifying. It could be as simple as working in your yard. It could be as grand as building orphanages in 3rd world countries.
- Be active. Our lives are increasingly lived behind computers – both to create art and build our businesses. We need to force our bodies to work. It could be physical labor or working out or joining a softball league.
Be more.
I am literally grieved when I read a story like Petrino’s. I don’t know him, I don’t care about Arkansas football, and I don’t even like college football that much.
I care about someone who has so much potential to create and build something great. I care that it is thrown away because a life is out of control.
I don’t want to see that happen to you or me. I want to achieve my potential. I want you to do great things. Please keep you life, work and art in balance.
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Great post!
Thanks Aurelia…I really appreciate it. Thanks for reading!
Aurelia – thanks so much I appreciate it! PS – hopefully Jason does not ever look like the above picture…
It’s refreshing to read a post about character and how important being an honest person is.
Thank you. I really appreciate it. I do believe your character matters a ton in the whole picture of your life/business.
Thanks! I enjoyed this post – The 5 tips is my favorite part.
Thanks Lyn – hopefully they will be put in practice 🙂
i will memorize your 5 tips to keep from crashing and burning……
i started late in life (i was 50 when i started my photography business) and feel like i have to play “catch up” to be all that i can be……and, yet, 7 days a week during senior season (mine is march-june) is not healthy…..i know that…..
thanks for the tips…..
Yvonne – I know that feeling (young or old) – catch up. There is never enough time. There is always more to do. Sometimes we just have to let things go.
Thanks for the comment!
Andy,
At first I thought to myself, “I am just AMAZED at the wisdom of this young man!” Yet, as I remember who your mother is, my dear friend and role model, Kathie, I should not be surprised.
Ever since your mother and I became friends, some 30 plus years ago, she has maintained strict personal disciplines that have included not only daily physical exercise, but most importantly, time spent at the feet of Jesus , in prayer and worship. I cannot help but conclude that in fact, not only her example, along with her fervent prayers for her children, have produced the kind of godly man your writing so beautifully conveys. The fact that at such a young age you are able to identify your priorities and articulate them with such clarity , shows the power of God in your life. The fact that you are able to glean such wisdom from life stories such as Coach Petrino, and develop a ‘lesson plan’ for success from his unfortunate ‘bad decisions’, proves that you are teacher at heart, just like your mother….my friend and mentor . Thankyou for the godly example you are setting for young and old alike, to reach their full potential , not only in business, but in their personal and family lives, as well. I am just SO PROUD of you! Andrea Kennedy
Andrea – I have to admit, I don’t feel so young, but it’s all a matter of perspective isn’t it.
Thank you for the kind comments and paying attention 🙂
Thanks Andy, I really enjoy your writing and appreciate the words of wisdom you’re sharing. I need to continually remind myself of the 5 steps as I grow my young photography business. All too often I find myself ignoring most of them as I try to take advantage of all my “free time” (when I’m not working my other jobs) to do the things I need to do for my business. As my husband likes to say “Don’t forget to breathe!”
Best,
Linda Dow Hayes
Linda –
Thank you for reading and your kind words. Your husband is right…we have to remember to breathe.
I also was reminded of how really good things take time to build. We can’t kill ourselves to make something happen today or tomorrow when it can’t really happen for another year (because truly great things build over time).
Good luck and blessings on your business!