Dave

While attending a business mastermind in Montreal I met a gentleman named Dave Lakhani. He would help facilitate a period of my life when I needed the most help.

Dave Lakhani was a brilliant business owner; although often intimidating, he had a heart of gold. He was one of the speakers and strategists at this business mastermind. He had a way of showing you the big picture as he guided us all in becoming more successful in our own businesses.

We were all in awe of him in every one of his sessions. He was an author and a worldwide speaker about business. However, these sessions were geared toward solopreneurs and small businesses, so they weren’t really suited for a business like mine. However, I needed to be around these people. After what happened to me in Poland and my distrust for everyone, I needed to be around business owners. Whether you are a solopreneur or a larger business owner you need to be around people who can relate.

People used to say to me that it must be great to own your own business. I bet you set your own hours; you don’t have a boss; it must be great. Yes, having your own business has its perks. I would reply, yes, I only work half days. They would get all excited at the notion. Ooooh, that must be so great. Then I would reply - half of twenty-four is twelve, right?

Owning your own business is a tremendous amount of work. You have to wear numerous hats all the time.

It’s chaotic! And 12 hours was light for me; often, I would work 17 hours a day. I had the staff, but I didn’t trust anyone, so I was a horrible micromanager. When you are doing everything, your life becomes non-existent. Work is your only life.

My father was a medical doctor, and I grew up with him always in a suit and tie, on-call or at work. So, it seemed somewhat natural to follow in his footsteps and work constantly.

It was hard work. I became a master at course development and safety. My area of expertise was Identifying the needs of our clients and identifying people with the skills to teach these programs. However, I wasn’t very good at the business side of things. I had a business partner in the past, and he was good but not very kind. Still, he helped get the business to where it was. He decided to retire when he turned 65.

I brought my brother in to help me. He was very astute at business and sales, but our relationship became rocky after Poland, and he also chose to leave to save our brotherly relationship.

So now I have painted the picture. It was November 2019, and it was clear that I was struggling to keep my footing in my company, provide a viable service to my clients, and keep my head above water.

I have zero work/life balance, and I'm signing up for a course on being a life coach and trainer. How could I manage all of this and still survive? While sitting in the lobby of the hotel with Dave Lakhani, he mentioned to me that he helps businesses grow. He liked me and my business model. He saw that I was struggling and wanted to help me, so he decided to come on as a full business partner if I was interested. I absolutely was.

Dave came on and allowed me to step away a bit. He was a master at planning. He helped with structuring and pricing and really turned the business around. Then COVID arrived. Dave inspired me to keep everyone employed—no layoffs. So, I kept people employed, and we started doing online training.

None of us could travel, so there were many phone conversations and Zoom meetings. In 2020, my gifts started to surface in a big way, but it was a confusing time for me because I was handing the reigns over, learning a new skill, and discovering gifts.

It was an extraordinary time, yet it was marked by illness and loss as people fell ill and died. Even though it was our first pandemic, Dave was an incredible support to our company. He met with the staff daily on Zoom and was always available when we needed him. Nothing fazed him—whether it was conflict, pricing challenges, or the pandemic itself. We worked seamlessly together. Unlike my previous partner, who was somewhat of a bully, Dave was exceptionally easy to get along with.

I asked him if we should add him to the corporation documents as a full partner, but he suggested we do that after a couple of years, once the pandemic passes and we are back to normal operations. I agreed, and we carried on.

I was finally able to step back a bit as he took full control of the company. My job was to answer questions and write the cheques. We had an in-house bookkeeper who kept me posted on accounting matters. Dave didn’t want control of the finances; he left that in my control under his guidance. This man was like an angel coming to my side to provide guidance.

During the shutdown, I was working on becoming a fearless living coach and trainer. Dave was running the staff, and I started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I was finally able to start decluttering my home office and get out of it occasionally. I didn’t really know what to do with myself.

Life was grand having Dave on board. He was a master at everything he did. In November of 2022, I was away on a cruise. When I returned, I received one of the most shocking texts of my life. Dave’s wife had texted me that Dave had died unexpectedly in his sleep.

This news so saddened me. I was shocked and overcome by the grief of his sudden departure. That night, he popped by to say hello. He gave me a message to pass on to his wife and proceeded to give me business advice.

During the cruise, I dreamt about him around the same time as his passing. I believe it was an early visit.

I still miss Dave, but he put into motion a number of business initiatives that will carry the company forward for years to come.