?????? ?????????????????? ???????? ???????? ??

That pushed me into entrepreneurship.

Ever since I was a teenager I wanted to run my own business and be my own boss.

I remember being 14 and prancing around in my bedroom looking in the mirror at my cool outfit consisting of black rapper shoes, black leggings and an oversized white Budweiser t-shirt (this was a freebie from my best friend whose parents owned our local pub), thinking that in my hair salon the hairdressers would wear this outfit too.

I had always wanted to be a hairdresser growing up and did actually train when I left school but left to do my A-Levels when the salon became too bitchy – I’ve never liked being surrounded with toxic people!

As I grew older my teenage dreams lessened as I made my way up through the ranks of working for big organisations, enjoying the challenge of achieving my next promotion, the security of a healthy salary and having fun with my work buddies.

It was only when I got burnt out the first time did I start thinking about working for myself again. I even started having negotiations with a well-known stationery brand in the UK about being their Australasian distributor. This died a death when the trademark had already been acquired by another brand in Australia.

At the same time this was happening I was approached to work for a couple of friends helping to head up their design agency, it was an easy decision to make as I could work 4 days a week with great people.

Over the next 4 years my work situation changed. 

I co-owned a design agency with someone who had owned the business for 14 years. They weren't ready for the partnership, had problems letting go and didn't value having different ideas on how to improve things. I get it, it was their baby. But this resulted in a number of problems between us and the unrelenting stress led to me burning out again.

I left the business as I realised that the situation was going to be near on impossible to work through, and quite frankly it hadn't once felt like my business. 

When I left I thought it’d be easier and less stressful to go and work for someone else. So I started searching straight away and within three weeks of leaving I’d reached final stage interviews with two leading healthcare brands.

It was actually in my final interview when I decided there and then that I would never work for someone else. 

It really was the interview from hell.

I had the egotistical marketing director leaning over the table with his finger pointing in my face telling me that he didn’t like the way I’d answered his question as I’d said ‘we’ rather than ‘I’…

….when you’ve been a manager of teams for years and years it’s very easy to refer to achievements as a collective.

Inside I was laughing my head off at him, thinking he was the exact reason why I didn’t want to work for anyone again.

When I left the interview I knew that I had an opportunity to take the leap into setting up my own business, even if I wasn’t entirely sure what I was going to do or even where to even start.

The next day I booked in to see a coach to help me work through everything that was spinning around in my head. I desperately needed to get clear on who I was, what I wanted from life and where I was heading, and work through all of the emotional things that crippled my confidence.

It worked and here I am to tell the tale.

If I hadn't had that interview I think I'd have definitely found myself back in the safe and secure land of corporate.

Although I know that I'd much rather be where I am, where I feel I'm definitely meant to be, where my heart knew I would be all those years ago.

So what would I say knowing what I know now about taking the leap...

1)   A dream will always be a dream unless you take action, you don’t need all the answers but you do need to act

2)   Live aligned to your values, work doing something you're passionate about, play to your unique strengths - that's when life has real meaning and purpose

3)   Thinking is harder than doing, make your decision and go with it, the relief and liberation you feel will be enough to keep you motivated

Drop me a DM if you're a determined, driven and ambitious dreamer who's ready to take back control of your life and let's see how I can help you take the leap.

x