Brant Aycock
What was your initial dream for your business or lifestyle (or both!)?
I’ve always had more of a handle on how I wanted to live, rather than what I wanted to do. I enjoy travel and new experiences, and wanted to have the freedom to be able to enjoy whatever opportunities life might offer me. I didn’t need to be extremely wealthy, but I wanted a career that would give me some degree of recreational income in addition to supporting myself.
Can you explain the fear and perseverance it took for you to bring your dream to reality?
I worked in dentistry for 12 years, and while it was lucrative, I found I was unhappy. My biggest fear in leaving practice was that nobody would be able to see me in a function that didn’t involve teeth. To some extent this was true, but as I became involved with community groups in town and did some freelance work, people began to see that I could function in other capacities.
Now that you are either working on your dream or living your dream, is it the same vision you originally had or has it changed along the way?
It’s still very much a work in progress, but so far seems to be on target. I knew there would be some lean times before the big payoff, and that is where I am now. A friend has hired me to work with his PR firm, and the pay is roughly one third of my health care salary. Still, I am much happier, and as someone told me once—if you work hard at what you love, the money will come.
What has been your biggest challenge in accomplishing your dream?
When you are in health care, people assume you are in it for life. Others can change careers and people encourage them on their path. Very few people did that for me. Most thought I was crazy to give up something I’d worked so hard for—not acknowledging that it was an empty accomplishment once I lost my passion for it. The biggest challenge was just walking away, when I had little to no emotional support.
What motivates you to keep building, growing or pushing for your dream?
I’m lucky enough to have had some accomplishments since leaving dentistry. With each challenge there was stress, but also this euphoria that comes from taking on a task and successfully completing it. This was what I had lost in dentistry—the sense of reward. Wanting to continue to feel that way is what keeps me going.
