David Faccone had a wake-up call that ultimately answered an issue he’d had his entire adult life. While enjoying his lunch at a charity golf event, he choked on a piece of steak. Six hours later, he was having an emergency endoscopy to physically remove it.
He’d had some choking scares before, but now he’d been officially diagnosed with a narrow esophagus. There’s medicine for that. Problem solved. But it wasn’t THE wake-up call.
The next one woke him up. It came silently yet relentlessly, innocently. It was spiking blood pressure. He’d always had mild high blood pressure, but he’d manage it himself. Then one night after a January bout with the flu and the decongestants that came with it, there was a pounding in his head that he couldn't ignore. It felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest. He drove himself to the hospital.
It was during that two-day hospital stay that he had an epiphany that would change his outlook.
“I’m lucky that I didn’t have a stroke - or worse,” Dave admits.
“Throughout the ordeal, I thought about my 19-year-old daughter, Kalina, who’s the light of my life, my wife Lauren, and my entire family. Then I started thinking about the 80-plus families who benefit from my networking organization. They rely on me. I have so much to live for, and so many who count on me. A lifestyle change wasn’t just in order, it was something that I simply couldn’t ignore.”
“I quickly realized that some small changes can make a big impact on my health. Now, instead of plopping on the couch scrolling through social media, I’ll take that time to take a half-hour walk. Swapping out beer for ginger ale when I’m out with my friends watching our Premier League soccer isn’t a big deal. I simply had to develop different habits. I am making healthy food choices, exercising more often, and I feel better than ever.”
Dave runs a thriving business that simply wouldn’t work without him. He’s the crux of it all, through the relationships he’s built. He manages seven different professional networking groups in the area - and developing number eight - that all intertwine through him. Being the nucleus of all his networking groups is the value he provides to everyone, and a responsibility that he doesn’t take lightly.
“I have at least 14 different networking meetings a month. That’s a lot of coffee, a lot of planning, and a lot of running around to get things organized. But those new habits are in place and will let me manage things better for the long haul.”
To him, investing in your health is investing in your relationships. These relationships mean everything to him, both personally and professionally.
“Even though my daughter is away at school, she insists upon keeping up our family traditions with us. What other kid comes home from college and insists we cut down our own Christmas tree together? Memories like these are irreplaceable, and I intend to create many more, for a long time to come.”
Despite his two health scares, Dave remains a relentlessly positive person. You won’t hear him say “why did this happen to me?”, but instead, it’s a feeling of “how can I be better for the sake of all the people that mean so much to me?”
“I’ve built my life around relationships. Helping others facilitate quality relationships is what I am most passionate about, and it is tremendously rewarding. Relationships are everything to me.”
For that, there’s no wake-up call needed.
"Business Matchmaker" David Faccone is the founder of the beSure business networking groups across our local area, where he connects people and ideas as a networking and sales mentor and event host. He can be reached at 775-623-7873 or at David@beSureUSA.com. You can also find out more at beSureUSA.com
Investing in your health is investing in your relationships. These relationships mean everything to David, both personally and professionally.