Leadership Advisory, Executive Mentor, HR Strategist, Culture Change, Wellness 

Why I love working with entrepreneurs

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I was at a business dinner recently and started chatting to a corporate executive who was sitting next to me. The conversation that ensued is one that I seem to be having a lot lately. This executive had just been passed over for promotion with very minimal feedback, and was questioning their career.

I asked them what they wanted to do. They shared they’d had a dream for some years – an itch that needed scratching – to have their own business, with a very simple idea they’d been playing with in their mind. Would they be brave enough to take the leap?

As I look back on my life, I’m now a firm believer that if a door doesn’t open, it’s not your door. We often chase goals and roles without questioning whether they’re going to deliver us happiness. And happiness is the key to a successful and fulfilling life. Somewhere around middle age (approximately between 45 and 55), many people start to feel pangs of dissatisfaction and begin to dust off their dreams, the dreams that got quashed by well-meaning others.

This is why I love working with entrepreneurs. Because they are bravely answering the three most important questions in life – who are you and what do you want? And do you have the courage to go for it?

Such simple questions but incredibly difficult to answer. And even more difficult to act on. Entrepreneurs are brave enough to chase their dreams. They know that at the end of life, it’s always the risks we don’t take that we regret the most.

The leap from a job to starting as a entrepreneur can be a challenging one. I took my leap five years ago and haven’t looked back. But it certainly wasn’t easy. Starting a business requires laser focused clarity on what you are selling, who you are selling to, and how you are unique. It requires strong systems, models and habits that support you to be efficient and organised. But most importantly, it needs you get clear who you are and what you want, and be brave enough to share that with the world, knowing there’ll always be those that disapprove, ridicule or judge you.

Brene Brown famously said “If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback. There are a million cheap seats in the world today filled with people who will never be brave with their own lives, but will spend every ounce of energy they have hurling advice and judgement at those of us trying to dare greatly. Their only contributions are criticism, cynicism, and fear-mongering. If you’re criticizing from a place where you’re not also putting yourself on the line, I’m not interested in your feedback.”

More and more we want to be inspired by people who are following their heart and living their dreams. And we only get one life – how do you want to live it? If you are ready to explore your entrepreneurial dreams and need support, get in touch.

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