The Adventures of Lee the SME Owner - Ch. 1 - the turning point

Lee stood at the window of his office, the one he’d occupied for thirty years, staring out over the bustling yard of his engineering firm.

The familiar sounds of machinery whirring, hammers clanging, and voices shouting instructions filled the air. It should have made him feel alive, invigorated by the pulse of the business he had worked so hard to build.

But today, it felt... different. Heavy.

He sighed and rubbed his hand over his greying beard, the lines on his face deeper than they used to be. The business had been his life since he bought it from his father all those years ago.

Back then, it had been exciting—a challenge to make it his own, to prove he could do it better, faster, more efficiently. And he had. But lately, the thrill had faded. Each day felt like a grind, and Lee found himself wondering: What next?

Julie had asked him that same question the other night. Well, not directly. Julie never pushed him. She was the calm to his storm, always so steady, so supportive. But she’d said, “You seem tired, Lee. Maybe it’s time to think about slowing down?” It had been a gentle nudge, but it hit him harder than he expected.

Slowing down? He’d grumbled something about being fine and changed the subject, but the thought lingered in his mind, like a heavy shadow.

The door creaked open behind him, and Julie stepped in, her soft smile immediately soothing. She was dressed casually, her long brown hair tied back, her blue eyes bright with that calmness he adored. She always had a way of grounding him.

“Thought I’d bring you some lunch,” she said, holding up a bag. “You skipped breakfast again.” Lee turned and gave her a tired smile. “Thanks, love. You know me, always in a rush.” Julie’s smile faltered for just a second. “That’s exactly what worries me.”

Lee took the bag and sat down behind his desk, unwrapping the sandwich she’d made. He felt her eyes on him, full of concern, but she didn’t press. That was Julie’s way—she never pushed him too hard, even when she had every reason to.

“How’s the team doing?” she asked, changing the subject to safer ground. Lee chewed thoughtfully before answering. “They’re solid. Young, keen. But you know, it’s not like it used to be. Everything’s faster now, more tech-heavy. Sometimes, I feel like I’m playing catch-up in my own company.”

Julie nodded, sitting on the edge of the desk, her hand gently resting on his shoulder. “You’ve done so much, Lee. You’ve built this place up from nothing. But... do you still enjoy it?”

That question hung in the air between them. Lee looked down at his sandwich, then out the window again. Did he enjoy it? There was a time when he did. But now? He wasn’t sure. Before he could answer, the office phone rang, breaking the moment. Lee sighed and picked it up. “Lee speaking.”

It was Troy, one of his key team members, on the other end. “Lee, we’ve got a problem with the new order for the McKenzie project. The specs aren’t matching up, and we’re running behind schedule. Thought you’d want to know.”

Lee closed his eyes for a moment, the weight of the business settling back on his shoulders. “I’ll be right down.” Julie stood up, sensing the shift in his mood. “I’ll let you get back to it.”

As she walked out of the office, Lee watched her go, feeling a pang of guilt. He knew she was worried about him. About the long hours, the stress, the way the business seemed to consume more and more of him each day. She’d never said it outright, but he could see it in her eyes.

Maybe she was right. Maybe it was time to think about the future. About what came next, for both of them. But the thought of stepping away, of leaving the business he’d spent his life building—it was terrifying. What would he do if he wasn’t running the company? Who would he be without it?

He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside, and headed down to the shop floor. The clanging of machinery greeted him like an old friend, but today, even that familiar sound didn’t bring the comfort it once did.

As he approached Troy, who was hunched over a blueprint with a furrowed brow, Lee clapped him on the back. “What’s the issue?” Troy looked up, his face tense. “The specs for the McKenzie project are all over the place. We’ll need to make some adjustments, but it’s going to push us behind.”

Lee nodded, glancing over the plans. He could solve this problem—he’d been solving problems like this for years. But as he looked at the plans, his mind drifted back to Julie’s words, and the nagging thought that maybe, just maybe, there was more to life than constantly putting out fires at the shop.

He handed the plans back to Troy. “Make the adjustments and let me know if you hit any roadblocks. We’ll get through it.” Troy nodded, but Lee barely heard him. His mind was already somewhere else, wandering into unfamiliar territory. What would it look like to slow down? To step back? To have time for... well, anything else?

As he walked back to his office, Lee felt a strange mix of emotions—fear, uncertainty, and a tiny spark of curiosity. He wasn’t sure where this new chapter would take him, but for the first time in years, he was beginning to wonder if it was time for something different.

And as he sat back down at his desk, the question lingered in the air: What next?

For the first time, Lee wasn’t sure he knew the answer—but he was finally ready to start looking for it.