Letting Go Part 2

One month ago I wrote an article titled ‘Letting Go’, in which I reflected on my time travelling in Europe for nearly three months. Now back in the swing of things, I decided to write down my thoughts on how I feel after being back for a month.

My initial return was one of excitement. I wanted to get straight to see Romeo (our cat) and Boji (our dog). Straight to the office. Straight to see friends and family. And I did just that. I went a million miles an hour and kept telling myself and everyone else that I was fine and didn’t have any jet lag. This worked great for about the first week and I got so much done. But as the weekend appeared and I began to reach for second and third coffees in the afternoons, I realised that I needed time to rest. That weekend I drove up to the country where I spent most of my time in bed. This, along with time with the animals, some fresh air and some nice home cooked meals was all I really needed to bounce back.

Once I regained my energy, I also began to really reflect on what my time back so far had been like, and this is what came to me:

My Team Are Amazing:

This was already a reflection in Part 1 but coming back and actually seeing all the work that had been done by the team blew me away. The decisions that had been made and the ownership that had been taken by people was truly inspiring.

Check out the UNIFIED Leadership Team (pictured below). Together we make strategic and cultural decisions about how we run our business. While I was away, they continued to meet every week and make critical decisions for our business.

The company is in a better place for me going away:

I honestly think me being away was good for the company. It allowed others to grow and make decisions without consulting me. We have amazing people on our team and these people are making amazing decisions.

I need to level up:

Following on from the above, I found myself getting involved in matters that had obviously been dealt with without me while I was gone. I realised that for many of these decisions, I was no longer needed. I could have reacted badly with ego but instead I chose to see this ultimately as a compliment and an opportunity for me to level up and take on new challenges. This is daunting but exciting. Learning and growing has always been a huge passion of mine.

UNIFIED can literally run without me:

I know a lot of these points have been about my team but honestly how good are they! I’ve come back to a company that is largely running without my assistance, which is a huge credit to the amazing people around me. But like I said, this is now my chance to level up and see what I can create with this newfound space.

We truly are building an ecosystem for creative talent to thrive:

My second week back, we hosted the first ever UNIFIED Insights Day which brought together leaders and partners from across the group and our various companies. This was the first time we’ve done this, and it was an amazing opportunity to bring everyone together to talk about our various businesses and how we can collaborate more. It was an amazing day topped off with a family style dinner in our office which was a lot of fun. Huge shout out to Michelle Rose and Matthew Rogers for their vision and execution on this amazing day.?

I still don’t have email on my phone:

This was a big one for me when I landed back in Melbourne - Do I put email back on my phone? And I decided no. Full disclosure I do have access to it on the web browser and my amazing assistant Emma McWilliam does also keep an eye on my inbox, but deciding not to put it back on the app was a decision focussed on trying to unplug myself from the temptation of checking my email 100 times a day. I don’t feel like I’m missing anything, and I feel clearer than ever.

I still love what I do:?

After being away for 3 months of course there was a fear that things could change. But coming back, I love what I do even more, especially with the new opportunities that have been afforded to me by gaining this new perspective. I literally told someone the other day that I have the best job in the world. And I mean it.

Change is inevitable:

One of the big changes I was returning to was Luke Logemann ’s last week at UNIFIED. Luke was the first person I ever hired, and he worked at the company for over 17 years. He has brought a tremendous amount of value to the company and helped launch so many amazing brands, projects and artists. Beyond this, Luke is also a very close friend and even spoke at my wedding. I’ll miss Luke. But I’m also proud of him for making change and I’m excited to see what he does next.

In summary, this has been an amazing chapter of my life and it’s had such a positive impact on me, and I believe people around me. I’m grateful for all the opportunities I have in life and with these new found perspectives, I'm excited and re-energised for the next chapter.?