Zimmerman’s Story Part II: Escaping the Rat Race
Things finally turned around for Zimmerman only many years later when he finally decided to invest in a business.
Because Zimmerman had to struggle for many more years as a night shift nurse in the rat race to be taught by life over and over again that simple hard work in a 9-5 job doesn't lead to happiness. He had to struggle several more years trying to pay the mortgage on the house, the car, and beginning to put his kids through college.
But it was love that would finally break Zimmerman.
Two faithful meetings changed Zimmerman’s life
Zimmerman’s children grew up. Zimmerman and Pat’s oldest daughter, Irene, got engaged to an Indian man named Imar. It was a connection that would change the family’s life forever.
But noone at that point knew it. All Zimmerman knew was that somehow, in-debt and with very little savings he had to somehow throw a wedding for his oldest daughter that would not embarrass her or his family.
But crises frequently turn into opportunities. And this crisis was no different.
The two families met just after the engagement, and Imar’s father, Ramesh, was visiting from India where he was working as a teacher and trying to get his parish’s coffee plantation off the ground.
Lights went off in Zimmerman’s head. He knew coffee was a valuable commodity, but could he actually be the one to package and distribute the product in Europe, Asia, the US and other important markets as Ramesh was proposing?
And just like that the light began to fade. He didn’t tell Ramesh no to his business proposal, not exactly--he told him he would think about it.
And then that night something in Zimmerman did change. He had turned down opportunities and ideas all his life. With no way to pay for his daughter’s wedding he decided now was finally the time to go all in.
Zimmerman was determined to get out of the rat race.
The second meeting that changed Zimmerman's life was a meeting with a Quicksle business advisor
I got the phone call close to midnight, which was already unusual for Zimmerman. His voice was a mixture of excitement and nerves.
“I know absolutely nothing about the coffee market,” Zimmerman said. “I know nothing about sales, nothing about running a business or advertising. I want to do this but HOW am I going to do this?"
I couldn’t help laughing because I could already sense the change in him. Something was different this time. He already knew all the challenges but now he was aggressively seeking for answers.
We set up a meeting following the weekend.
I was able to explain everything he had done wrong in the past, from his deadend nursing job that left him little savings and no prospects for retirement, to the fear that he let run his life.
And for Zimmerman’s part he was able to acknowledge what he had done wrong so he could move forward.
I laid out the basic things he would need to market the coffee:
1: Presentation: People in stores and online would have to be able to discover the product, learn about it, hear from other people who had tried it; interested consumers would need a way to get to know the growers and what they stood for, to become acquainted with the quality and taste of the beans.
2: Sophisticated Instruments would be needed to facilitate the sale of the coffee, to make transactions with consumers that would be safe and convenient, to stay in contact and communicate with consumers both before the transaction, during the transaction, and after the transaction.
3: A team would be needed devoted to growing his brand along with a way for consumers to shoutout about this great new product, to share it, and to facilitate and make sure they kept coming back for more.
Zimmerman made a few key purchases with Quicksle following that conversation:
The first was Quicksle’s Gold Advertising Bundle to quickly increase brand visibility with a priceless system that enables businesses to pay only for direct results.
The second purchase was a multi-functioning website designed to harness the power of the Quicksle team, build his brand’s image, and give him the tools to sell his product and grow his client base.
Zimmerman acted quickly.
It has been a little over two years since his daughter’s faithful engagement to Imar and now Zimmerman runs a successful coffee company selling coffee and spices from India to markets around the world.
Zimmerman is out of the rat race.
In fact, he owns a home in South Carolina and a condo in the Florida keys, is building toward a substantial retirement, and what is more, he makes more profit each year.
And for those of you interested in the side romance story, yes, Irene and Imar did tie the knot and the outdoor reception with the backdrop of the beautiful Blue Ridge Virginia Mountains was incredible.
They are expecting the first addition to their family this year. May, a little girl.
What changed for Zimmerman was that he finally put his fears to the side and invested money with a good team in a good business idea.
He stopped procrastinating, stopped blaming others and started taking control of his family’s future.
If you are currently stuck in the rat race and suffering, take Zimmerman’s lead, take your future in your hands, and start making your tomorrow brighter by investing in your business dream today.
(If you missed part one of this story, you can read about it here!)
