HR leader to resilience advocate

Well here it goes, my first blog! I wanted to share with you my journey to creating this new venture, my influences and motivations for doing this now.

What inspired me to start my business?

I started my HR career over 15 years ago. How time flies! I still remember my first role as if it were yesterday, working as an HR administrator in a large defense contractor, through various roles and industries before leading my own HR team at a professional services firm. Each step of this journey has presented new challenges, be it from organisational change, a re-focus of a firm’s people strategy, or from the preparations of a merger. The variety in work and experiences has helped furnish me with a deeper appreciation for both the day to day operational and strategic pressures in today’s modern workplace.

Things were not always as clear for me as they are now. Early on in my career I was always the quiet, shy one who would rarely speak up at team meetings or want to be heard. I used to look up to the HR Directors/Leaders at that time and think “one day I want to be in that role”, but I wanted to do it my way and still be me. I guess I have always been quietly ambitious, just never one who wanted to shout about it.

As I worked my way up the ranks into more senior roles, my confidence grew, and I finally came out of my shell, feeling comfortable when speaking up. I needed to have that voice to support those people around me. The irony of all of this is having worked so hard to elevate my career to positions of greater responsibility, the work I loved most was missing. It has never been about status for me. It has always been about doing the right thing to support as best I can the people in businesses I have worked in. 

We often talk about people being the most important assets in business today and I believe passionately that this is true. For those of you that have worked with me over the years would testify, I am always up for a natter over a skinny latte or flat white. Whilst caffeine has always been a draw, this was more about taking time out to talk to people.

Nine years ago, I had my first child, followed by my second a couple of years later. Juggling an often-frantic HR career whilst caring for a family has always been challenging, if not chaotic. Let's face it, being a working parent is never easy whatever your role, but we get through it! I remember commuting to London quite a bit in one of my earlier roles, running the daily gauntlet between nursery drop off and catching the train, usually with just seconds to spare. I probably shouldn’t admit to this as it looks worse on me, but on one fateful day I managed to lose a shoe between the platform and train, watching in utter horror as the doors closed behind me with only one shoe on board. They said it happens to everyone but really? I learnt a valuable lesson that day. Always wear flats when travelling! I laugh now when I think back to some of my earlier adventures.

In 2019 I set up a limited company, offering freelance HR consultancy to local businesses whilst affording myself more time with my family. This worked perfectly for a time but after 6 months I was lured back into the corporate world with an interim HR contract at a local law firm. I have always loved a challenge, and this certainly provided one when hit with a global pandemic alongside a merger! Almost immediately the lines between work, home and school were erased and a new era of open chaos descended. I mean, at no point have I ever wanted to be a teacher, so how did that happen?! 

Why I think we should all use challenge as an opportunity to build resilience

We are all surrounded by new challenges every day. We can either choose to continue to learn and grow or stay in our comfort zone. I have learnt never to give up, I always try and find a way to get through challenging times. I haven't always been like this - fear of failure used to get in the way, but now I look at challenges as opportunities to push myself further. It doesn't always mean I will get it right, but that's okay. I came across this quote which I liked “I have not failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that won’t work” (Thomas A. Edison). No one is perfect, we are all on a journey and it is okay to make mistakes as we learn from them.

Why did I pick now, during a pandemic, to go back to my business?

I have always had a passion for wellbeing and building resilience in the workplace and have been studying in this area for a while. Even before this pandemic my aim was always to help others to prioritise wellbeing and build resilience, but I was just waiting for the right time to do it. I have seen first-hand the impact of employees experiencing burnout over the years and I really wanted to make a difference. We all know employee wellbeing should be a priority, but quite often it gets put to the bottom of the pile either because of budgets or the resources to drive it. 

I think there is now a looming mental health crisis that is only beginning to emerge because of COVID-19. So, now is the time for me to share my knowledge and put my toolkit into action! I want to help individuals and businesses on this journey whilst transitioning back to the workplace and adjusting to a new normal, whatever that new normal ends up being.

Before I go, just remember RESILIENCE IS ABOUT BEING KIND TO YOURSELF AND KNOWING YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR OWN STORY. Some people are more resilient than others, but the behaviours can be learned. Whether you are going through a tough time now or want to be prepared for the next one, start by thinking about your purpose, believing in your own abilities, looking after yourself and embracing change. I promise it really does help! Attitude is everything, so try prioritising your positivity. Good luck! 

If you enjoyed reading this and would like to get some hints and tips then I am regularly posting on LinkedIn and have just ventured across to Twitter. I look forward to sharing my website with you soon, something that has taken a little while longer to sort without any IT support to call upon and definitely requiring a whole other level of personal resilience - perhaps that is a blog for another time! 

Sarah