No matter what career path you choose, it is perfectly normal to go through ‘dry’ spells where all the motivation and passion that you have for your work just evaporates into thin air.
That doesn’t mean that you should let it though! That is why, today, we will be looking at the behind-the-story of Jed Morley, founder and CEO of Platinum Payment Systems. The lumberjack turned missionary, turned real estate broker, turned CEO of a successful payment processing company!
Let’s start off with something a little more personal! Is that alright? Please, tell us, who is Jed Morley to you?
Jed Morley: Jed Morley is a man that has explored as much of the life that has been offered to him as he can. He was born in a large family and raised a large family too. He has five kids, has been married for almost thirty years, he is a man of God, a man that loves to keep himself busy with work, and a man that indulges in things like roping or horse riding.
It’s a bit weird talking about myself in third person like that, ha, but yeah, that’s me!
First, I was the kind of boy that would hike up a mountain, ski down, hike up again, and then ski back down just to be able to do what I love. Then, I was doing backbreaking work in Alaska before moving on to Argentina to explore the culture there as I worked as a missionary for my church. Now, I’m one of the owners of Platinum Payment Systems, a company that we built from the ground up to be something that we can be proud of. Something that gives us purpose.
How do you live your days? Is there anything in particular that you like to do to start it off just right?
Jed Morley: I like to start the day very early. My partner and I have a schedule working going to keep us both active about the things that we care about — our health, our children, and scripture
too. That means getting up very early to go to the gym and hit our health goals for the week. It also means spending time with the kids after that and reading scripture or praying before dropping them off to school.
What do you find most fulfilling about your work?
Jed Morley: I’m someone that lives for a good challenge. Rather than get discouraged when people tell me I cannot do something, I feel energized. Because of that, I’m not the kind of person to leave things halfway. And that goes for my work too. Whenever I encounter a hurdle or an issue of some kind, rather than back up from it, I dive straight in and give it my all.
How do you keep yourself from burning out?
Jed Morley: When it comes to work, my key motivator is definitely my passion for what I do. I love my work.
I understand that that’s not the ‘cure-all’ that everyone is looking for though. So, if you’ve gotten to the point where you’re really struggling to keep going, my advice is, first and foremost, to find purpose in what you do. A job is a job, yes, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t find fulfillment through it. For us here at Platinum Payment Systems, that’s PlatGives – the non-profit arm of our company that steers us true and makes sure that we’re keeping ourselves going.
Outside of work, my advice would be to get a hobby. For me, as I mentioned earlier, that’s roping and my love for horses. Those are the two hobbies that keep me excited to wake up in the morning — and allows me to relax for a while and shut my business brain down for long enough for me to be able to power through whatever comes next.
And lastly, where do you see yourself taking Platinum Payment Systems in five years?
Jed Morley: I’m optimistic. The future is looking very bright at the moment — which probably sounds odd, considering our jumbled-up economy these days. But, nevertheless, I’m looking forward to what’s to come. COVID has changed a lot about how we do business at Platinum, but rather than be defeated by the unforeseen changes, we’ve made sure to come out of it stronger than ever before.
In the immediate future, we’re looking at changes in our marketing processes, as well as our mobile processing functionalities. Further than that, I see endless opportunities for us to serve more customers even better than we’ve done before. Overall, I see us in the perfect position for a great run!