Be Brave. Take Risks. Live Fully.

It has been an exciting couple of weeks. On July 1, I officially became an entrepreneur and my own boss. Six days later, I swam the English Channel, from England to France, without any kind of external help. Both ventures are similar, in a way – let me prove it.

First – Preparation

I haven’t become an entrepreneur by accident or enlightenment, but by training and conviction. For the past 12 years, I have worked for some great firms and bosses around the world, acquiring invaluable knowledge and contacts, and with the safety net of a pay-check at the end of the month. Three years ago, at a dinner in Milan, a colleague suggested one should work for others until their logo in the business card is more important than the name. But once you have developed your personal brand and network, you need to let go. I am convinced my time is now.

In the same manner, one does not become a Channel Swimmer overnight. To date, only 1,828 people have crossed the English Channel (half of the people that have climbed the Everest) and their average age is 36 – exactly my age today. Open Water Swimming requires strength and fitness but also maturity and boldness. Since I started swimming outdoors in the South of Hong Kong a few years ago, I have been increasing difficulty and mileage just to reach this point.

Second – Fears

A salary is a double-edged sword. It can keep you seated in a workplace that does not make you happy, just for the panic of losing it. It is a fear that can paralyze you for months – years! Eight years ago, while carrying out a normal and stable life as a consultant in Madrid, I received an employment offer from Qatar, a country I could not even locate in a map. I knew I had to accept it, and I cannot imagine how different my life would have been, had I not taken it. My work situation is now similar in terms of risks, and I know I need to accept them.

Fear is the emotion that prevents many pool swimmers become great open water swimmers. Sharks, jellyfish, currents, waves, you name it. It is the unknown, the impossibility of knowing what is underneath you, whatever is touching you. The historical successful rate of the English Channel is around 30% - and many more are not even able to get to the start line. But fear is irrational, and if you manage to swim – and to live – with it, you can achieve great things in life.

Third – Ambition

Unlike third culture kids today, my whole family is very much “local”. I grew up in the Canary Islands and didn’t travel to Madrid until I was 14 years old, and many people wonder how did I become so “global”. The answer is curiosity, discipline and especially, ambition. I took my first Finance class when I was 22 and learned proper English when I was 23 – I couldn’t have worked in Investment Banking in New York if I didn’t have the dream and the drive to do so.

Ambition in OWS is a dangerous thing. At the end of last year, I decided to pursue throughout 2018 a feat that nobody had ever done: completing a major swim in each of the 7 continents in a single year (“Continents Seven”), under the nickname of Global Swimmer. I am now half-way through, having completed Oceania, Africa, South America and Europe. I am swimming North America in August, Asia in October and – wait for it – Antarctica in November. Only 10 people have swum in the South Pole before, and I have qualified among the 16 best ice swimmers in the world to do an “Ice KM” there. If successful, I will put my name in the Guinness WR book.

Last – Persistence

Global SWF is not the first business idea I have had; I set up another entity in Hong Kong once. I’ve also been rejected for hundreds of jobs. But that doesn’t prevent me from knocking more doors. I am convinced that persistence is the key for success, and that there is no such thing as luck if you don’t pursue it. Detours do happen but don’t lose sight of your ultimate goal.

When I was a kid I was great at swimming practices but not at races. I kept trying harder and harder until I made it to the Nationals, which was my (modest) goal. I learned a lot from that phase. Had I failed to complete my English Channel attempt, I would probably be still in Dover waiting for a second chance. You may not be the most talented swimmer – or professional – but you still need to fight for your goals however small these might be. Work hard, rinse and repeat.

I am not talking you into becoming an entrepreneur or a WR-breaking swimmer here. This is just a humble account of my recipe, which may not work for others. But whatever your situation or goal, be brave and step outside your comfort zone – success is waiting for you right there.