Getting Uncomfortable and Growing up in 2016

What a difference a year makes!

To say I've had a transformation would be a huge understatement and I've had a few days "off work" to reflect and take stock of the lessons I have learnt and the memories I have made that have shaped me so far.

Change doesn't happen by accident

They often say that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. This is something I can completely relate to looking back on my career and the many opportunities I had to be a change-maker but never took them. Was I scared? Maybe. Was I not empowered by those around me? Maybe. However, that really shouldn't have stopped me. In retrospect I realise that actually, we can be the force of change whether or not the right situation exists to facilitate this; it's all in your Mindset. In Caroline Dweck's amazing book, Mindset, Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area. So what changed for me? I made a conscious decision not to wait for an opportunity to be handed to me on a plate with my name on it - I was going to go out there and take it.

Trust is key

If you're going to put yourself out there. You're going to have to really learn to trust yourself. How do you do that if it doesn't come naturally? They say knowledge is power. It's true. You're more confident and generally feel more in control of a situation if you know your subject matter perfectly. This gets a little bit easier with practice and continuous learning. Another incredible book I've read is The Speed of Trust by Stephen Covey. Covey says, "Simply put, trust means confidence. The opposite of trust - distrust - is suspicion. When you trust people, you have confidence in them - in their integrity and in their abilities." As an eternal optimist, one of my key gifts is the ability to trust people (or give them the benefit of the doubt) so that cuts out a lot of time in my mind wasting energy on fear of people's intentions. Thankfully my gut is usually accurate and leads me to great people. I've also learnt how to get out of uncomfortable partnerships fast too.

Surround yourself with good people

I can't emphasise this enough. I wouldn't have made it this far without the amazing people I have met in this last year. People to believe in you, to cheer you on (because yes, you will really need this when times get tough) and people to teach you. I am far from perfect and far from being an expert at anything. I actually hope never to think that I am perfect at anything because that would mean I would foolishly stop learning.

People don't say this enough but having a really supportive network at home is key. My Mum is an Angel. She has listened to more phone calls about Mums in Technology than you can imagine. Knowing that she believes in it more than anyone else has been more than enough for me to keep going and trying to make this a success. On reflection, she's been my first angel investor by helping me through the slow months and helping with the kids. The first year is hard and no one should do it without their version of "My Mum".

Learning to love the driving seat

It's so easy in the corporate world to just go along for the ride and wait for opportunities to come around. Being a change-maker means you are in control of your journey and the opportunities to create are limitless. Jumping into the deep end as an entrepreneur has given me a sense of responsibility which I'd never had before. I was suddenly able to shape the future that I want for myself and others. What personally helps me want to be a better "driver" is constantly thinking about my passengers. Who am I paving the way for? Who is relying on me? Whose life could I help to make better? Always having my passengers at the back of my mind spurs me on daily to be a better person and improve and that is empowering.

Be Thankful

Anyone that knows me will know that I never fail to say Thank You. These two words have been a part of me thanks to my amazing Mother who always showed me the importance of gratitude. Aside from respect being a huge part of the African culture - everyone is an Aunt or Uncle because we can't call anyone older than you by their first name - I genuinely believe that it's such a simple thing but can change the way people work together.

I am thankful for being able to embrace authenticity in the way I work. I love that I can take my daughter with me to meetings and I am taken seriously. I am thankful for all the companies that have worked with me on courses and field trips - Thoughtworks, Marks and Spencer, Skype, Wayra, Silicon Valley Bank, Investec, BBC, Makers Academy, Not on the High Street, Monster, Rentez-Vous, Vinaya, Shazam, Dara Technologies, Super Being Labs, Funding Circle, Hassle.com, Clear Returns, Bleep Bleeps, Bloomberg, Tech City, Code Kingdoms, Bubele, The White Company, Freelancer, Capco, Snapback, Technology Will Save Us, Coo, TreatNow and WellBrix.

I am thankful for the recognition in the numerous blogs that have covered our story to being featured in The Sunday Times and Business Cloud most recently.

I pushed myself to do more public speaking and spoke at The Bakery, The Mill and was invited to the offices of Havas Media to do a fireside chat with Paul Frampton Calero.

If you'd like to hear more about the Mums in Technology journey, I was interviewed by David Savage on Harvey Nash's TechTalks.

What next?

There's a lot of "figuring it out" to do. As a free spirit and a creative person, this is something I still struggle with but I'm extremely open about it. So I'm lucky to have a team and mentors who are a lot more structured than I am. I want to do a lot of things and have loads of ideas but the priority now is to get processes in place and focus. It's hard to believe we've achieved so much and taught 100 students without a process document! So that will need to change as we grow and start working in more regions.

I want Mums in Technology to be a global movement and they say that if you say it, it will happen. So there's me saying it!

So yes, you'll be seeing a "Mums in Tech Hub" pop up near you soon. We've had so many requests to go to some exciting locations so we're working hard to make it a reality. As my amazing team mates, Virginia and Liz would say - "One thing at a time, June!"

As always in 2017, I will strive for balance. Being a Mum of 2, it is super important for me to be available for them and at the same time giving back to the community. I know they say we CAN have it all so I will keep trying to make it work with the realisation that there is no ONE WAY.

We all want the same thing - Good Health, Joy and Success.

May your 2017 have all of these and more!