b'N ot long ago, Pat Carroll was in the When the Penske organization made them an offer, Pat was middle of his only daughters wedding, when the bridesable to sell the business and retire. In such a capital-intensive veil caught on the aisle. Instinctively, he jumpedbusiness, All your wealth is tied up in your assets, Pat says.into dad mode to help his daughter. Despite the careful,I didnt feel wealthy at the time. All of a sudden, all these intentional planning that led up to the big day, unexpectedthings that youve got your money tied up inforklifts, pickup surprises were inevitable.trucks and tools and cranes and company vehicles and partsthey were on your balance sheet. They arent worth anything Pat credits his problem-solving inclination to his engineeringuntil you sell them. Then one day, somebody comes along and training and the lessons his father instilled in him. Pat hadwritesyou a check for all of it. My net worth didnt change, flown planes, graduated from engineering school at Auburnbut my sense of wealth changed significantly. It was a big day, University, worked on the Tomahawk missile system atand I really felt it, Pat remembered.McDonnell Douglas, and studied for his Masters at Princeton. He understood the importance of planning.Retiring unlocked a newfound freedom to pursue his passions for travel, adventure and off-road cycling. After a two-week But the best laid plans have a way of taking us downsafari in Southern Africa with his family, he reflected on his unexpected trails. Pat ended up leaving aerospace engineeringother interests and returned to off-road riding.to work in his fathers trucking business, moving from sales to division head to eventually become the manager of theTHE FILM, THE BIKE, THE BIG IDEAcompanys two East Tennessee locations. The business was kind of like aAlthough Pat had loved riding for a long time, it was a documentary that inspired him to make a big leap toward an ball and chain. You cant unstickepic adventure. Watching The Long Way Round, following yourself from it. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman on an around-the-world trip, gave Pat the idea to embark on his own cross-country As much as he loved the work, The business was kind of like amotorcycle ride. All he needed was the right equipment to ball and chain, he recalled. You cant unstick yourself from it.get there, a riding partner to share the adventure, and his For decades, Pat always had one eye on the business, neverfamilys blessing to chase this dream. away for more than a week at a time, even taking problem-solving calls on vacations. Volume One Summer 2022 7'