Write Your Obituary: your purpose isn't in your job
Mason Cosby of Scrappy ABM talks playing the long game in business, rooting your life in a purpose outside of work, and that one time he wrote his own obituary.
Mason introduces himself as a husband and a father first, and a guy who runs an ABM agency second. That order is intentional. He builds his company, Scrappy ABM, around the idea that work is a tool, not an identity. For his team, that means clear roles and a planned 32 to 35 hour work week. The buffer is for the inevitable client fires, so a 50 hour week is a rare exception, not the rule. It all evens out.
He almost became a pastor. It turns out he's great at teaching ABM but, in his wife's loving opinion, terrible at teaching Sunday school. A friend gave him the line that changed his career: somebody has to fund the church. Now he runs his business like an infinite game. The goal isn't to crush the competition or have some huge exit. It's just to exist for the next 25 or 30 years, do good work, and use the money for things that actually matter.
His best advice is something that sounds a little morbid but it works: write your obituary. He says your real purpose in life is never going to be hitting President's Club five years in a row. It is about who you are to your family and how you treat people. A job is just a job. And if your job keeps you from living out your actual purpose for too long, it is time for a change.
“When you write your obituary, what do you want to be said about you when you're gone? Is it that you hit President's Club five years in a row? Probably not.”
Notes
- He plans for his team to work 32 to 35 hours a week, building in a buffer for client emergencies so overtime is an exception.
- He considered becoming a pastor until a friend told him, "somebody has to fund the church," which reframed his skill for making revenue.
- He runs his business with the goal of playing a "25 to 30 year game," where success means continuing to exist, not beating competitors.
- His core advice is to write your own obituary to define your true purpose, which is separate from your professional accomplishments.