Our Gift- Chapter 1:
"Burnout isn't a Badge of Honor"

Jack Carter pulled into his driveway just past midnight, shutting off his truck but making no move to get out.

He sat there, gripping the steering wheel, staring at his darkened house.

He had missed another dinner. Another bedtime. Another night gone.

Inside, his wife and kids were asleep—again.

Jack let out a long sigh, leaning his head back against the seat. His body was exhausted, his mind even more so.

His shoulders ached from hauling equipment all day, and his hands were still stained from the soot of a fire restoration job.

But it wasn’t the physical exhaustion that weighed on him the most.

It was the mental strain—the never-ending grind.

His phone buzzed on the passenger seat. He ignored it. He already knew what it was—more problems, more fires to put out.

Another delay from an insurance adjuster. Another complaint from a technician.

Another customer wondered why their job hadn’t started yet because Jack was stuck waiting on approvals that seemed to take forever.

He glanced at his dashboard clock. 12:43 AM.

Jack rubbed his face, then finally grabbed his phone.

Twelve missed calls.

Three were from an insurance adjuster still “reviewing” a claim he had submitted six weeks ago. 

Another two were from a technician who had botched up the documentation on a water loss earlier that day.

The rest?
Who knew?
It was always something.

Always.

Jack owned Carter Restoration, a company he had built from scratch with nothing but his savings, his truck, and an ironclad work ethic.

Five years in, the business had grown.

More jobs.
More employees.
More revenue.

But not more freedom.

Instead of feeling like a business owner, he felt like a glorified employee—except worse. 

At least employees got to clock out. 

Jack never did.

Despite working more than ever, his bank account never seemed to reflect the hours he put in.

1. Insurance companies were slow to pay.
2. His overhead kept rising. Employees needed constant supervision.
3. Every day was an uphill battle, and no matter how hard he worked, it felt like he was stuck in the same place.

 He unlocked his phone, scrolling through social media, looking for a momentary escape. That’s when he saw it—a post from Ethan Wells, an old friend in the industry.

The picture showed Ethan and his family on a white sand beach, drinks in hand, the ocean stretching behind them.

The caption read:

 "Five years in, and my business finally runs without me. Hard work pays off, but smart work pays more."

Jack’s stomach twisted. How?

He and Ethan had started their restoration businesses around the same time.
They attended the same WRT/ ASD combo at Reets Drying Academy near Atlanta, Ga.

 Back then, they were both hustling to get jobs, working crazy hours, and dealing with the same struggles.

So why was Ethan on a beach while Jack was still stuck working himself to death?

Jack stared at the photo, a mixture of jealousy and frustration bubbling inside him.

 What did Ethan know that he didn’t?

 Without thinking, Jack fired off a message:

“Man, how the hell are you able to step away from your business? I feel like I can’t take a day off without everything falling apart.”

A reply came almost instantly. It was surprising, but not really surprising.

 “Let’s grab coffee tomorrow. I’ll explain."

Jack exhaled, rubbing his temples.

He didn’t know what to expect. But right now, he needed answers.

 And maybe-just maybe- he was finally ready to listen.

That is chapter 1. Feel familiar in some ways?

The next chapter and the rest of the book shares a transformation story. Filled with real life wins and losses. 

A reminder to not focus on where you are or who you tell yourself you are, but who you can be...and are BECOMING.