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StreetSmarts SM

Mind your mental health

By John Tucker Serious issues often overlooked
1st Capital Loans LLC One main reason I'm quarterbacking this run on Street
Smarts is because I believe strongly that it's my job
SM
okingly, my closest friends refer to me as "bipo- to discuss realities of our profession that are often
lar" because my mood is seemingly always on a overlooked. From the business-to-business sales cycle, to
roller coaster ride of feeling on top of the world how out of touch most ISO recruiters and sales managers
J one minute, and then feeling as if the world is are, to the mom-and-pop matrix, to being a minimalist,
coming to an end the next. But these emotional swings are most topics I've discussed have never been discussed at
mainly due to the fact that I am financially and psycho- this level before within our profession. I believe these
logically invested in my merchant account and merchant topics are not addressed because they predominantly
cash advance deals. relate to the "small guy," and nobody cares much about
the "small guy" in payments.
When things are progressing well from prospecting, to
pipeline, to underwriting, to funding/boarding, I feel For this article, I want to discuss another reality that many
almost in a state of euphoria. But when there are delays, small guys and gals (and some big fish) in our space are
declines, or when my merchants leave the process or battling: mental health conditions. This is a call to action.
even cancel their merchant accounts, I sometimes feel Whether or not you have an issue, there's nothing wrong
completely despondent. with doing routine, annual or biannual mental health
examinations.
I'll go from extremely happy to extremely sad within hours
and, quite frankly, it's been this way for the majority of
the more than 10 years I've worked within this industry.
However, because I've been called bipolar so many times,
jokingly or not, in 2015 I scheduled an appointment with One main reason I'm
a mental health counselor to see if I might have some sort quarterbacking this run on
of manic depression.
Street Smarts SM is because I
Fortunately, I was not diagnosed with any type of manic
depression, personality disorder or mental health issue. believe strongly that it's myjob to
Nevertheless, while we usually roast one another using discuss realities of our profession
labels from the mental health profession, from time to
time, the people we are roasting might actually have some that are often overlooked.
form of manic depression or other mental health condition
– and not know about it.

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