Current situation is my health is a wreck I am 24 and running a beverages company in which I am in the position of CEO as well as foreman of the small crew we have. How I became at this age the CEO is because I started at 19 while a great consultant was consulting the company and saw something in me. Basically, when I was 6-8 months in the consultant fired the whole crew and began looking for honest workers. 4 years later it is 7 of us and the company is growing in all senses and all the money is reinvested in the company. The thing is I still have my initial salary, started as a bottle packer. I know 4 languages at a native level and got a degree and most importantly experience in the sector, The lowest paid employee is at the same level of pay as me. Having told the owners that I am financing with my own salary many operations of the company as I would go up to 8 months at a time without getting paid in order to make the company grow faster, thus, making more profitable which in turn brings. The owners are not present at the business they just come once a month for dinner at a restaurant nearby and leave, that’s where I usually tell them the reality of the business and what’s going on but they don’t really seem to care of my sacrifice last 3 months I am working almost 14 hours per day no days off keep in mind that the blue collar part of this job is already stressing combined with the administrative and so on…have lost 14 kg and today is the day I have noticed I am starting to go crazy, never have I shown agressiveness but today I just f*ckin destroyed an office table by kicking it with steel toe shoes when I have stopped working so no one saw me,. The thing is I pay my workers top as I want them to stay and show them appreciation and the give it back, I adore my crew and will do anything for them and they for me. I am at the point of asking 3x my salary and put it on the table to the owners the thing is I know this is putting an ultimatum as missing a deadline is fatal in this business and currently all the customers and all the processes are handled by me still haven’t got time to train someone fit for the position .should I ask the 3x and x commission of the sales. What’s gonna be their reaction? Company is not mine and what comes to my head is ‘why should I be wrecking my health for that little money while I could not to do that’. What’s gonna be their reaction?
I have started with my best friend a trading(goods) and manufacturing consulting business and that’s going good good. Should I dedicate 100% of myself to this business? But how can I not leave a project to which I have dedicated substantial proportion of my 20s and keeping my reputation in the sector as someone reliable? I bring 60% sales
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Young, dumb, and full of…… denial
It sounds like you’re having a really really hard time in your business and that the demand it puts on you burns you out, or already has burned you out. I can relate strongly to that. I was in a similar situation. Cudos for putting your team first even if it is so hard on yourself. It seems like your priorities and values are very positive.
Personally, I think you can definitely ask for a pay raise, and in addition, find ways to improve your working conditions. What are you explaining above sounds very similar to my situation when I was burning out. And that can cripple you for a year or more to not be able to do any work.
I think you don’t need to worry about your reputation at all. Working as you do shows that you have dedication to whatever you do. And everyone with a bit of sense can see it as a reasonable decision if you’d leave this company. In the end, people will value you more for your “no” than for your “yes”. If you’re known as someone who says no to everything that is not essential, people will value your “yes” even more. Go where you’re valued most. Life is too short to spend it in unnecessary pain.
DM me if you’d like to have more input. Maybe there is anything from my experiences that could help you in your situation.