An Inspiring Story About Two Middle-Aged Entrepreneurs

Perhaps you are in your 30s – 50s and have either had a successful professional career or been an employee of a large company, but you’ve always wanted to pursue an entrepreneurial venture. If you fit this description you may have contacted business brokers, searched for businesses for sale, or put together a business plan for a new venture, but ultimately haven’t pulled the trigger because of what you will be giving up: a high salary with low perceived risk, predictable paychecks, and a life/career you have already “figured out”. Maybe you also wonder if you are too old to be switching careers and putting hard-earned capital at risk.

Those are all natural concerns, but I think that many people limit their thinking to what can go wrong, and don’t spend enough time focusing on what may go right. If this describes you, may I suggest reading an inspiring interview with the founders of California Pizza Kitchen in the Wall Street Journal, titled “Ditching the Courtroom for California Pizza Kitchen“?

The founders of California Pizza Kitchen gave up a successful criminal defense law practice in 1985 while in their 40s to start their restaurant empire. Now, 24 years later, California Pizza Kitchen is a publicly traded company that operates more than 250 restaurants in 33 states and nine countries; sells frozen products through Kraft Foods Inc.; and reports annual revenue of $677 million.