In the seven years that I have run my private investigation business, I have come to the conclusion that I have the best job in the world. I am fairly certain that others might fight me for the claim to that title, but I would challenge (pretty much) anyone.

So why do I have the best job in the world?

My Work Matters

That’s not to say that all my work matters. I have worked for plenty of well-to-do people who simply had the money to dig up some dirt on the opposition in a lawsuit. I have also worked on a number of white-collar criminal defense cases where the person I was working for was clearly on the wrong side of the law.

But that is coupled with helping find a biological father, helping a client avoid an embarrassing and costly mistake, or helping avert significant damage to a company’s reputation. I’m not always making a difference or doing work that matters, but when I do have that chance to alter the course of the matter at hand, it feels pretty good.

I Have the Best Boss (Me!)

There are advantages and disadvantages to being your own boss, but for me, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. First, I get back every single ounce of blood, sweat and tears that I put into my business. Secondly, I can truly focus on the work that I care about. I’ve always got to keep in mind that I have to pay the bills, but if I have a bad feeling about a client’s intentions, I can easily kick them to the curb. Lastly, I have nobody else to blame (or thank) but myself, which you can pretty much never say when you’re working “in corporate America.”

I Have Flexibility

I have coached my children’s baseball and basketball teams, and when it comes to my family, I’ve been at nearly every sporting event, teacher conference and ballet recital – and have made it to nearly every single “family event.” It’s not all perfect – I was in Alaska for my son’s first T-ball game and I flew back on a red-eye from the Middle East one Christmas Eve, which did not make the family happy. I’ve also worked about 35 weekends each year and more hours overall than I like to admit.

But work is different when you can do it on your own schedule; I don’t think anyone should ever be tied to a desk from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. I work on my own terms.

Every Day Is a Different Adventure

Looking at my calendar as of today, I have absolutely no work scheduled a week out from now. I am sure it will come, but I’ve got absolutely nothing on tap.

That might be terrifying to some, but it’s part of the thrill. Cases come and go at a fairly rapid pace. Each and every one of them is different, too, which keeps me on my toes. And it’s rare for a case to hang around for more than a few weeks, which means that even if it’s the most boring case in the world, it’s not going to be around all that long.

So there you have it.

I’ve laid out my case; let’s see what you got!