The Importance of Support

Starting out I think I was like a lot of entrepreneurs I wanted to be my own boss and show the world what I was capable of. Part of that for me was a fierce independence, I didn’t need help, I was my own man and help was a sign of weakness. Now 25 plus years into the journey I realize how wrong I was (luckily) and I look back at all the great help, advice and support I received along the way.

Though it took some time I looked for support and information anywhere I could find it. I first looked to books for inspiration and guidance. I read a lot of books from ‘self-help’ books to stories of successful business people and entrepreneurs. Then as I ventured out into the world I started to study people closer to home. I watched bosses stumble, fail, succeed and learn. I took various pieces of each of their journeys that were meaningful to me and used them to inspire and help create my own path.

As success and failure came I was lucky enough to be around some great leaders who were generous enough to offer advice and some even took me under their wing. I started to understand that seeking guidance and support was a sign of strength, and although I didn’t totally embrace it I grew in confidence with each encounter and asked more and more for guidance and help. At the time I saw it simply as gathering information to use for my own success. What I didn’t see was the benefit of the support itself. I didn’t see that simply having an independent means of support was a gift in and of itself. Having someone who didn’t work for me, had no financial interest in my business and that simply would listen and offer non-bias feedback was a tremendous relief.

When you are starting a business, building a brand or leading a team you are surrounded mostly with people who have a vested interest in your decisions and ultimately your success or failure. It’s not a bad thing, its part of business, their job and lively hood could very well depend on your moves and strategy so it’s only natural they should want to play a part in that decision making. Having those people and team members around made a huge difference and I’m very thankful for their help and support. No one does it alone and I’ve been fortunate enough to have had a great support team over the years.

With more success there are times when you do feel alone despite having the support of those around you and your great staff. In these times you start to seek out more business advice but you find that much of the advice you seek is actually of a personal nature. Everyone is looking for you to be a strong leader so many of the people around you don’t want to, and shouldn’t hear about your fears and shortcomings. This is where a separate and impartial party is a gift from the heavens. Someone who isn’t inside your business, who doesn’t need you for their own career health or wellbeing. Someone who has been through what you are going through. Someone who is down the road further and can talk you through not only the business challenges but more importantly the personal challenges you face along the way. What you don’t realize at the time that while you are in a business a large portion of your sanity and success are tied to your personal and internal journey. You realize that much of the advice you seek isn’t about spreadsheets and board meetings. The advice you are craving is about strategy, business philosophy and navigating decisions and staff interactions. You seek a perspective rather than simple business information, a business psychologists in a way.

That sounding board, mentor or advisor can come in many forms and I was fortunate enough to have a few very good ones. I can’t thank them enough for being there to listen my challenges and fears and offer invaluable advice and to be a much needed ear to bend. Now as I move into the next stage of my life I find myself looking to pass on those gifts I received to others starting out or navigating their own success stories. For those reading this I urge you to seek out those people in your own journey and allow them to pass on the gifts they were given so that one day you can do the same.