en Jasper was a guy who'd spent most of his life checking boxes.

Following a well-trodden path to conventional success.

Not that it was easy; he worked very hard to get where he got.

But at 40, he started to fatigue of his all-consuming job in finance and to contemplate how the second half of his career could look different.

He wanted more control over his time than the 24/7 world of New York hedge funds allowed.

He wanted to see his family more.

He wanted boundaries.

Now, I hear you saying: "Boundaries? By owning & operating a small business?? Ha!"

Well Ben did achieve them, even though the plastics manufacturer he bought requires him to arrive at the factory at 4:30am every morning.

We get into it, Ben's new lifestyle. He goes out of his way to provide a window into the unglamorous, pre-dawn work of operating a 10-person manufacturing business with no management.

Ben Jasper at his factory
Ben Jasper at his factory

‍But to be clear:

Almost a year into his ownership, and it is going well for Ben. Both as an investment and as a vehicle for the professional path he desired.

Please enjoy this conversation with Ben Jasper, owner of a plastic bag manufacturer in New Jersey.