Mark Hanrahan is the founder of Markmel Co. and a career-long businessman with experience in accounting, finance, and real estate. He graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting. Afterward, he immediately went to a graduate program and obtained his master’s degree in 1994 from Drake University. 

Although Mr. Hanrahan’s career began in accounting once he passed the CPA exam, this is not the field where he achieved the peak of his success. Instead, he eventually switched to the real estate market and left Carney, Alexander, and Marold CPAs. As soon as he started working with passive income sources, Mark Hanrahan realized that investing in properties is his second nature. Thus, he was able to learn the ins and outs of the industry relatively fast. 

Naturally, one of Mr. Hanrahan’s primary focuses revolves around business objectives. Nevertheless, he is a family man who enjoys spending time with his wife. Additionally, as a father of one, he often has to balance work-life responsibilities through complex scheduling. Fortunately, a long track record of organizational skills and planning has allowed him to multitask to a point of perfection. 

How hard is it to balance all of your real estate responsibilities with your at-home life?

Right now, it is not as hard. The reason why is the fact that I have been doing it for a long time. In the beginning, however, I used to struggle as I did not know how to prioritize my time properly. Well, unfortunately, there are only about 10 to 12 hours that you can spend working every day. From my experience, anything above that reaches a point of diminishing returns as you are too exhausted to have good output and your efficiency falls. So, I tend to limit my working hours to about 12 per day at the absolute max. 

The problem with this approach is the fact that I sometimes have much more work than I can truly complete within the aforementioned timeframe. So, I used to make the mistake of taking time away from my family and using my time at home to address business issues. Now, I never do that as it leads to things like conflict and depression. 

Do you ever have time for yourself and if so, what do you like doing?

Definitely. If I did not, I would not be as productive as I am. Whenever I do find the time, I like to travel. The great thing about doing that is the fact that I can take my family with me! So, my personal time turns into family time and that is even better. 

How common is depression in business?

It is more common than most people think. People from all industries often struggle with depression because they set their expectations too high. As a consequence, they repeatedly fail to reach their objectives and end up thinking less of themselves. I personally saw incredibly smart businessmen and women whose careers fell into a rut due to issues with confidence and positivity brought on by severe depression. 

What is one way to treat depression that has proven successful for those around you?

I think that traveling is a very good way to focus on something other than the factors that led to depression. The reason why is that going to a new place and meeting people is a great way to escape reality for a little bit. Additionally, traveling is a great way to experience adventures and make life-long memories that can be revisited through photos. That way, one might be able to escape their depression again at a later point by remembering the experience. 

Where should people who might be struggling with these types of issues travel to?

Well, I do not exactly have a specific list of locations that one can visit on their journey to recovery. After all, everyone is different, and they will have varying preferences. Some people, for instance, enjoy going to warm regions where they can swim, tan, and so on. Others, however, may prefer hiking on mountain tops. In the end, the key is to go somewhere where the person can find comfort. Those who still do not know what that place would be can simply research what would be a good fit for their personality and desires.