The History Behind BOAT DAY

In 2020, enrollmentFUEL celebrated our inaugural BOAT DAY on February 10th.

Before I started enrollmentFUEL, I worked for the enrollment division of a printing company. The printing company was sold. Many of you will relate to what happened next. Along with new owners, there was a new vision and new rules. Though I tried, I knew I no longer fit.

Along with my wife, Sharon, I started considering my options. That involved a lot of prayer-spreadsheeting as I peered through the fog trying to find a guiding light. My faith is important to me, and one Sunday I heard a stirring message in a country church in North Carolina. The preacher talked about how we all need to step out of the boat at times, as Jesus encouraged Peter to do when they walked on water together (Matthew 14:29). The hardest part was taking that first step because it required faith. But if you had faith, you would find the support you needed to live your own miracle.

As I sat in the pew, I felt like the message was meant for me, beamed down straight from heaven. Hearing it gave me the strength to do what I needed to do.

A few days before Christmas, I turned in my resignation. Over the next couple of months, I trained my replacements at the old company during the day, while thinking about what I wanted to build at night. When the final day at my old company came on February 9th, 2014, I had a rough idea of what I wanted to create.

On February 10th I got out of the boat completely and started building enrollmentFUEL. It has been exhilarating and scary, and so many people helped and supported me along the way – my wife, my parents, Tom O’Brien, Dave Quick, Gretchen Long, and of course Jacqui Elliott, who also stepped out of her boat to join the company.

On February 10th this year and in life, I encourage you to step out of your boat at times. That can mean trying something new at a job you love. Shift your paradigm. Lean into your life abundantly, because you bring your unique light into the world. Don’t be afraid to let it shine. When others see your light shining brightly, it permits them to shine alongside you.

Step out of the boat. Let faith sustain you as you walk forward and maybe even leap through the water, jumping from crest to crest.

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Mike Wesner