Ron Carson - The Sustainable Edge: 15 Minutes a Week to a Richer Entrepreneurial Life

Rons own personal experience on balancing family life and building wildly successful businesses provides the inspiration and real-life application that will make The Sustainable Edge a must read for anyone struggling with the question, How can I have it all?

Suzanne Siracuse, VP/Publisher, InvestmentNews

Ive worked with Ron for more than 10 yearshes a true visionary. He lives what he preaches and has set the bar for the rest of the industry as a result. His success is inspiring, and financial professionals in every stage of their career would benefit from taking his advice and reading the life lessons shared in The Sustainable Edge.

Edmond Walters, Founder and CEO of eMoney Advisor, LLC

Ron Carson once again delivers valuable insights to his readers. However, the lessons shared in The Sustainable Edge may be the most valuable yet. Living a balanced life is simply said and difficult to achieve. Ron Carson and Scott Ford simplify this goal and provide tools you can use to lead a meaningful life.

Steven D. Lockshin, Principal, AdvicePeriod

I have benefited greatly from Rons insight on advisors practices over our 25-year history. He can do for you what he does for meraise the bar on getting to top performance and strategy. If you are ready to move forward, I strongly recommend you to move your practice upward by reading this book.

Mark Casady, CEO, LPL Financial

Ive witnessed Ron speak, and just like an athletic coach, I watched the advisors take the information and inspiration from his talk to help each one of them accelerate their ability to achieve success.

Joe Buck, American Sportscaster

Ive known Ron for several years and seen advisors that hes worked with put these ideas into action with great success. There is a big difference between theory and practice as Ron has demonstrated in The Sustainable Edge.

Tom Nally, President, TD Ameritrade Institutional

This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Published by Greenleaf Book Group Press Austin,
Texas www.gbgpress.com

Copyright 2015 Ron Carson and Scott Ford All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the copyright holder.

Distributed by Greenleaf Book Group

For ordering information or special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Greenleaf Book Group at PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709, 512-891-6100.

Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group

Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group

For permission to reprint copyrighted material, grateful acknowledgment is made to the following: Reprinted with permission. The Dash by Linda Ellis.

Copyright 1996 Linda Ellis. www.lindaellis.net.

Publishers Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

ISBN: 978-1-62634-215-6

First Edition

Other Edition(s):

Print ISBN: 978-1-62634-214-9

Id like to dedicate this book to The Dream Weaver Foundation (thedreamweaverfoundation.org). This foundation is something that Im truly passionate about. Jeanie and I are excited about the Dreams that we are granting for the elderly who are impoverished and terminally ill. Its our time to give back to those who have given so much.

Ron Carson

I dedicate this book to my father who passed away in August 2014. You instilled many of the lessons I share in this booklike hard work, fighting for what is right, and having a positive and optimistic attitude. Thank You.

Scott Ford

W isdom, courage, and dignity are the underlying ingredients that comprise the compelling attributes of Ron Carson and Scott Ford in both their personal and professional lives. Embarking on an effort to provide us with meaningful insight at a critical inflection point is both admirable and exceedingly important.

The Sustainable Edge introduces the combination of the most significant aspects of business and personal success. Having an edge is all well and good, but in the absence of being sustainable, it merely denotes a footnote in the transitory course of events. Sustainability without a direct link to a distinctive edge is a net consumer of energy and effort lacking a sound purpose. Delivering a pathway, based on hard-earned experience, that connects us authentically to our highest and best use is the profound reality contained within this book that translates into exceptional business performance as well as a meaningful life.

The intersection of technology, business, and personal activities has upped the ante dramatically in the need to understand what matters most and why. Good intentions alone will not crack the code of how to deal with the continuous tsunami of distractions present in todays world. A carefully constructed plan that combines genuine insight into the human condition, while effectively harnessing the power of technology to quickly filter and categorize information, is at the heart of The Sustainable Edges message.

It is with profound inspiration and gratitude that I have been able to observe firsthand the benefits and results delivered by Ron and Scott. The contagious nature of their desire to learn, grow, and develop in all aspects of their lives jumps to the forefront of any contact with them and leaves a lasting impression that is only quenched by subsequent meetings! The Sustainable Edge is essentially the transcribing of their DNA onto the written page.

Aristotle once said, We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. In each generation we must find our own relationship to the legacy we create and the willingness to strive for that higher purpose born of bold vulnerability, confidence to share, and openness to learn from others. The Sustainable Edge provides direct access to the repeatable excellence that can transform your life and confirm the legacy that you seek.

Robert J. Moore

March 2015

Solana Beach, California

A s Ron arrived in Minnesota to meet with a long-time client who had just achieved his ultimate lifes goal of selling his company, he looked forward to hearing tales of high-stakes deals. At seventy three, this client had just sold his real estate development firm in Minneapolis for $174 million and had scheduled a meeting with Ron to discuss how to invest the proceeds of the sale. Ron was surprised when his client, who had pulled up to the local municipal airport in his well-used pick-up truck, seemed depressed and unsettled.

I always thought this would be the happiest day of my life, his client said. I messed up. Im divorced. I have a daughter Im not that close to. I really dont have any close friendsmy friends were all work associates. My health isnt great. My whole life was about the pursuit of more. I worked fifteen-hour days to get ahead. The truth is, I had enough years ago.

His clients story shook Ron to his core. As business owners, we naturally want to help our entrepreneurial clients build their assetsbut that is not an end in itself. If we have done our jobs well, they will be free to enjoy what makes life meaningfulfaith, family, friends, community, good health, or whatever else really matters to them. His client's comments were a painful reminder of how many business leaders achieve their professional goals at the expense of their quality of life. And its not only crazy-busy, hair-on-fire entrepreneurs who miss out on really enjoying the life theyve worked so hard to build.