What 2018 has taught me about Cohesio and myself

Another Christmas is upon us and before we break to spend time with family and friends it makes sense to reflect on the year gone by. It's been a time of significant change and rapid growth for us, across all fronts.

From our rebranding to welcoming new team members into the Cohesio family, to forming relationships with exciting new clients, we've come a long way in 12 months. Taking on the lessons of the last year stands us in good stead looking forwards.

The highpoints of a stellar business year

One of the major wins this year was our successful rebranding. I've always had a very clear idea of what Cohesio means and where I want us to be in the market. Switching the business brand up was a major challenge - it involved a lot of moving parts aligning, but the team really pulled together and I think we stand in a much better place now. Our message hasn’t changed but we are now even more committed to delivering game-changing outcomes than ever. We've had so much positive feedback and, most importantly, support from the market. Clients and partners alike have really embraced Cohesio Group and this is a joint success when you look at how our relationships work. Thank you to all of you who have backed us and continue the journey with us.

Another amazing highlight was launching our ignito retail automation software, Drone Stock-Taking and Supply Chain Robotics offerings. We are proud to bring these leading-edge solutions to the Australian and New Zealand markets and hopefully beyond in the future.

Developing deeper, strategic and more value-added partnerships has been another major plus for us in 2018. It means a lot to be more than just a purveyor of technology - we want to be viewed as an all-encompassing solution to supply chain challenges and a thought leader in the industry. We look forward to fostering these professional relationships in the next twelve months. Do you have an idea? If so, we are the ones to explore these with and get stuck into a joint R&D mode with you!

Tackling the challenges of rapid growth

Fostering better relationships is something I'd like to look into in my own life next year too. The issues facing me as the business went from strength to strength was trying to manage the pressure of our upward trajectory while keeping my own life in tick. Many times throughout the year I would find myself on a flight, in a meeting or even at home with the kids thinking 'I'm not sure how I'll keep up - but I know I have to. I found myself unable to switch off and began to feel tired heading into work more days than not.

It's taken me a while to realise, but burning the candle at both ends doesn't work. It's not talked about enough, especially among business people, but it's okay to have time out.

Mindfulness and well-being are not distractions - they are essential for refocusing you on what's important, both personally and professionally. Meditation has helped me, as has reading - both got me away from emails and constant growth planning. These are lessons I intend to continue refining, and hope others can learn from.

Taking this year's lessons into 2019

These lessons will also hopefully help me connect with the business on a new level in the new year. Our team has nearly doubled over the last 14 months, and travel has impacted my connection with the day-to-day at Cohesio. Luckily this hasn’t slowed us down at all, thanks to the phenomenal bunch of individuals we have.

I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to make a difference with this team. It’s a group with so much drive that still fosters a family spirit, making Cohesio a home away from home. Our foundation is built on trust and integrity with each team member, client and partner, new and old, so we are all heading in the same direction. I intend to devote myself to this group a lot over the next 12 months so the business can be in an even better place this time next year.

There is a lot to be optimistic about looking at the new year - we have new client relationships and solutions to grow, opportunities to delve into and new people to meet. I look forward to facing this all head-on after a good rest - and encourage anyone who reads this to take a vital break too. Family, swimming pool and a few good books await me over Christmas - so I wish all of you the same happiness and well-earned rest over the festive season and new year!