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Episode 88 – Leaping From Your Business to Your Next Passion, Part 1 with Stewart McMillan

By Hightower Great Lakes on May 26, 2022

A lot of business owners feel like their business is their biggest passion, and they will lose purpose after exiting the business.

However, exiting a business can be the perfect opportunity to explore your next big passion!

In part one of the Passion Series, Tim Scannell speaks with returning guest Stewart McMillan. Stewart talks about his journey of selling his business and following his passion, and what the process of exiting a business looks like.

Stewart discusses:

  • His inspirational story of not being afraid of failure and consistently pursuing his passion
  • The different options he considered before selling his business
  • What his thought process looked like while creating a post-exit plan
  • His experience of being put in a leadership position by circumstance and not by choice (and how that affected his role in his company)
  • And more!

Resources:

Connect With Stewart McMillan:

Connect With Tim Scannell:

About Our Guest:

Stewart McMillan has been in the fire industry since childhood. His earliest recollection is riding back to the fire station on the knee of a Chicago Lieutenant on Squad 2 when he was six years old. As Chief Clyde McMillan, Stewart’s father, grew the Gary Fire Task Force, Stewart was there weekend after weekend helping rebuild and maintain the menagerie of old fire apparatus that the Civil Defense Fire Department had managed to obtain. In 1968, at the age of 14, Stewart drove a 1947 International Pumper to a lumber yard fire, and connected it to the hydrant with a hard suction all by himself. From that point on, he was involved with the Gary Fire Task Force up through 1973.

Stewart is a member of the Valparaiso Rotary and The Greater Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. He is also active in the World Presidents Organization, active member of the Ivy Tech Board of Trustees, MAAC Foundation and National Association of Manufacturers.

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