I’ve always wondered how professionals like dentists, accountants, contractors, doctors, etc. who co-own businesses with partners manage to step away for several years to serve as a mission president and then return to the business afterward.
As a business owner with partners myself, it’s hard to imagine leaving for that long without a significant impact. I’d expect some loss of clients, shifts in responsibilities, and maybe even partners getting used to operating without me. At that point, I wonder if reintegrating would be difficult or if there would even be hesitation about bringing me back in the same capacity.
For anyone who has seen this firsthand or experienced it, how does it usually play out? Do people step back into their previous roles smoothly, or does it sometimes not work out the way they expected?