The power of average: lessons learned from 30 years in business

As a 23-year-old I was average. Naive, inexperienced, a little bit silly. 

I came from an average background (no head starts or handouts) and had average ability. In fact, when it came to academic achievement, I’d usually been slightly below average. I hadn’t bombed – but I hadn’t excelled either. Just gone along being a pretty unremarkable, under-the-radar kind of average.

But I had the determination of a lion.

Average as an opportunity

Because average is an opportunity. It’s a bit like having mousy hair (which I did): from mousy, you can choose, chop and change your identity. You can go cool blonde, vibrant red or chestnut brown. You can be who you want to be.

Being average means you have to work much harder just to keep your place. You have to read more, ask more, enquire more and spend more time working it out in your head. But being average also means failure isn’t a dirty word. 

So, when that 23-year-old me set up my own business, I had no fear or doubt at all because I had absolutely nothing to lose and nothing to compare myself to. 

It’s where being average has served me well. 

Beyond average

Over the following 30 years in business, there have been lots of highs, a few ultra highs, plenty of humdrum, a collection of lows and, sometimes, the ‘can’t do this any more’ lows.

There’s one area I’m maybe not average. And that’s neurologically. Having bi-polar and ADD intensifies the roller coaster – but how unusual is neurodiversity really? More and more people are realising their brains work in different ways and understanding the strength in that. Maybe different is the new average?

It’s about taking good advice when you hear it and finding out what works for you.

Celebrating the good bits

During 30 years in business, I’ve been told a lot of wise stuff. Some of these lessons are the wisdom I live by every single day. 

My top two are:

1. Embrace failure and learn to fail fast 

Good job I listened to this one. I’ve failed more times than you could throw a stick at. But I fail fast – pick myself up, dust myself off, sometimes have a little cry and then crack on. Often wiser. Failure has eventually made me a wise old bird. 

2 . Surround yourself with people who are much better than you

I have. I work with some clever, compassionate, honest and ridiculously loyal people. I couldn’t do it without them. Because I’ve got ADD, had strokes and other stuff, good people are what keep me sane and make everything worthwhile. Those brilliant people might be parents, too. We celebrate parents at Wrapped.  I’ve been a working mum myself and it’s important to make it as easy as possible for people to juggle kids and have a successful and rewarding career.

Knowing yourself

There are a few good things about being 53. 

•  I may not have the beautiful naivety I used to, but I have much more patience
•  I’ve been around long enough to have met incredible people along the way (and I’m still in contact with more than 75% of them)
• I have the confidence to admit when i don’t know what the f*ck I’m on about (which is often)
• And I have the experience to know very very quickly if something will work – and how to do it. 

I often joke that I’m a blagger, but anyone who knows me knows I’m not. I’m too average for that. 

I research, read and try to understand and prepare before I do anything. I can wing it from experience but I promise you that knowing it is much better. 

Into the future

So although I started at 23, I feel I’m still a late bloomer. At 53, I haven’t yet peaked. 

When it comes to work, I still have the energy I’ve always had. I still strive every day to learn, be better, teach a new eager generation and partner with exciting clients. I still get over-the-top giddy. I still have a million ideas. And I still take way too much to heart. 

With 30 years of business under my belt, I think it’s time to message every single person that has made an impact on my life.

Seriously... thank you.