“No one’s gonna hit you as hard as life is,” says Craig Mellendorf, founder of SFC Estate Coaching. “But when you get the hit, get back up.” Craig knows this lesson better than most – he was let go unexpectedly after 27 years of teaching and had to find a new path. In this episode of Move Forward Anyway, Jeff talks with Craig, his former basketball coach and life-long friend, about how Craig moved forward anyway and founded a business that has helped support more than 167 charitable organizations since 2015.
When Craig was first laid off, he was side husting. He was a personal trainer, and worked on SFC Estate Coaching, a company that connects families making estate plans with charitable organizations, on the side. Even more remarkable is the fact that, as Craig says, “I learned everything I know about business from teaching it.” He was teaching business education when he was laid off — which he sees as part of the path God was laying for him — and learned how to develop his own app from a startup. He has always been learning his way toward this moment, and that’s his lesson for listeners of all ages looking to start something new.
Since Craig took the leap in 2015, he has helped 750 families donate more than 75 million dollars to 167 charitable organizations. In this episode, he talks not only about the importance of his work, but also about the power of getting up again, even when life throws you a particularly nasty punch.
Quotes
- “I don’t think that age is the criteria of whether you should do something or not.”
- “Listen for the excuses that people are making about why they don’t want to work with you. And then figure out how to make that a positive, and in your next presentation make sure that’s addressed before they can address it.” (38:26-38:50)
Links