Neglecting My Wife & Family
They say the first year of marriage is hard, but mine was absolute hell— and it was all my fault.
I married my beautiful wife, Sharon, with every intention of giving her a great life, and in a lot of ways, I’d succeeded at that.
We had a nice house, we drove nice cars, we went on nice vacations, we had all the great stuff you could ever want.
This supposedly great life came at a price, though. In fact, it almost cost me everything.
You see, as a third-generation pawnbroker, I was doing what pawnbrokers have been doing for decades: working 12 or 14 hours a day, six or seven days a week. It’s what my brother did,
my father did, and his father before him had done. They were all pawnbrokers.
This is just how life was.
So that’s what I did, too.
It had always been done in my family, so I saw no reason to do anything differently.
But Sharon… felt things should be different, and wasn’t happy—at all.
I remember it clearly. It was just a regular day, about a year into our marriage. Except Sharon was sitting at the dinner table, crying her eyes out.
“I didn’t get married to be alone” she said, and then, in no uncertain terms, she let me know I’d better make a change, and make it fast.
In that moment, I knew I had to find another way. I didn’t want to lose her, and quite frankly I wasn’t too thrilled about the way things were, either. I wanted something different. I wanted something more.
Up until then, all I’d cared about was work.
I’d get home, pop into the recliner, moan about how hard I’d worked today, and veg out until it was time to go to sleep. There was zero joy, zero connection with my wife, and zero living going on in my life.
It was nearly impossible to ignore what was happening… my dad had recently received a startling diagnosis, and I was watching as my brother’s health deteriorated as well… just like so many pawnbrokers before them… and after them, too.
I knew I’d reached a fork in the road.
I could choose to do things the way they’d always been done, and turn out the way everyone else had turned out… or I could take a new path.
I chose to forge a new path.
I’m here today to help pawnbrokers, like you, find a new path—a better path.
I’m actually not a pawnbroker anymore. I’m a Pawn Leader, and I’m searching for the men and women who are committed to changing the pawn industry with me.
Together we’re going to change this industry for the better, but it’s not just about the industry. It’s about our families, too. This is about making our lives better while helping our stores reach new heights.
Each week I’ll share with you my best tips, new insights, and key interviews with leaders inside and outside of the pawn industry. The goal is to raise you up out of the ruts that so many pawn brokers get into, and to transform you into a true leader who knows how to manage a thriving business together with a great life, on your own terms.
It doesn’t have to stay the way it is, just because it’s always been this way. I’ll show you how to make the change.
What do you have to lose?
Hit reply and let me know what’s hanging in the balance for you if you don’t make a change.
How’s your health, your marriage, and your connection with your kids? Aren’t they the very reason you work as hard as you do? It would be a shame to miss out on the things you love most wouldn’t it?
Hit reply and let me know, I read every word sent to me, and do my best to answer as many questions as possible.
Time to be a Leader,
Yigal
Yigal Adato
Yigal is a 3rd generation pawn broker, and is now a mentor, coach and educator with the pawnbroking industry.
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