THE POWER OF DISCOVERY

When was the last time you took some time out and indulged on a quiet, self finding journey all by yourself, very peaceful with the purpose of carefully discovering the inner you? Perfectly identifying your next steps, your own strengths and your personal and professional goals?

Well if you are like most people, you will not get much of a chance to claim this special time. Yet, without it, you continue on being very busy, emerged in day to day stuff and every now and then stopping to come up for a quick breath and realizing:” This is not the life I had envisioned for myself!” or “I feel stuck and unsure of my needs and wants!”

I know I am digging a little deep, here but I have just undergone the most self indulgent journey in the past three months. In the midst of my commitments, I had this AHA moment, that if I did not take the time to regroup, I could not identify or get to the place, I want to be!

I have now learnt that the only way we can deliver the results that we want, is by taking ourselves on that journey of discovery. However long and through whatever means, once you have taken it - you will be overwhelmed by the deep realization, clear vision and incredible energy that will be unleashed!

What does your intuition tell you? Do you have it all figured out? Or are you sharing the pain of fuzzy, even muddy vision? Then do something about it!

Let me share a quick story to highlight:
A very good and young friend of mine has been in business by herself for over two years. Although struggling with typical entrepreneurship, she decided to open a facility. Something she had always dreamt off even as a little girl. The first time I visited her, she had broken down! She felt, that she had taken on more than she could handle and felt trapped by her own decision.

Eventually the only think for her to do, was to take a trip away, by herself, to get some objectivity and clarity back into her life. When I went to see her again, she was simply radiant. Her order book was brimming, she had taken on 2 new members of staff and introduced three new profit models, making her money hand over fist. 

She now takes off two days in the week. When speaking with her about this unbelievable transformation, she just responded:” The time I took out was a true journey of discovery. Once I encouraged myself to listen to the inner me and become quiet enough that I could finally hear that low inner voice, it all became so very clear!”

Now, this is your permission slip for yourself to do the same. The most powerful transformation and deepest clarity will come by allowing yourself the journey of discovery!

After that you will be ready to give me a call so we can build your business together!
GO, INDULGE!

THE POWER OF PLANNING

With less than 5 months left in the year I have been meeting with a lot of people recently who have been reviewing their progress on their ambitions for the year, only to find that they haven’t even really got started yet. In fact most could not even remember exactly what they had set out to do.

This means of course some are shrugging their shoulders with an ‘Oh, well...’ attitude while others are fueled to make the remaining months count. They have been asking for my input on where to start to get things moving in a coherent and focused direction.

I thought this would be the perfect place to share my advice to them as well as the broader audience. Here is what will get you on track for the rest of the year:

        1.) Don’t get hang up on what you SHOULD have done
        2.) Get clear on what you are going to do
        3.) Write it down
        4.) Set realistic deadlines
        5.) Get going
        6.) If you have a tendency to procrastinate, suffer with self doubt or have difficulty with being consistent - GET HELP!

It is very simple. If you are feeling that the year has been passing you by and you have not achieved anything tangible in your business or even personally, it is not too late to turn things around.

Professionally, get writing your short and simplified business/ career plan to figure out where you would like to be at the end of 2010. It only really needs to have 5 key goals with an action plan attached. Then start scheduling each action point into your calendar and stick to those ‘appointments’. Print your plan and stick it up on your wall or carry it with you. Every time you are stuck for the next steps, take a look at the plan and move forward.

Personally, not dissimilar to the above but perhaps not quite as formal. Take a nice blank sheet of paper, a cup of tea and pin point 5 key things you would like to accomplish or have in place on a personal level. For me things such as:

    1.) Book in pottery lessons - start end of September
    2.) Get back into my weekly swim routine - start now
    3.) Spend one weekend with each boy to do what they like - third weekend Sept/ Oct.
    4.) Have a 4 day romantic break away with my lovely husband - begin Sept.
    5.) Manage to ski a green run ;-) - by 31st Dec
(But psht.... these are personal)
We all know planning is essential but it is so much more than that - it is downright powerful and liberating. Especially when you look back and feel the pride in your accomplishment.

If you want, you can email me your business plan & personal list and I will check in with you at the end of the year to ensure you got onto it!

Happy Businessing!
Conny

DO YOU NEED A SHORT STRATEGY PLAN? EMAIL ME CMILLARD@MCGBUSINESS.COM FOR A COPY TO GET YOU STARTED!

THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE

You are going to love this true, little story that highlights so well, how perseverance gets results. So read on and enjoy:

We went on a camping trip with a bunch of friends last weekend including all of our kids. Among us where 5 teenagers around 15 and 16 years old - very tough crowd! My 7 year old son wanted to play a game of ‘hide-and-seek-tag’ and approached the youths who had gathered around the fire pit, bored out of their minds, to entice them of joining him to play.

Standing in front of the first boy he asked:” Cam, do you want to play a game of h-a-s-t?” With the reply of ‘no thanks’ from Cam. So my son moved on to the next boy, standing in front of him, he again posed the question. He got another straight ‘No’. Moving on to the third guy, my son asked again:” Do you fancy playing a game of h-a-s-t?”

And yes, you guessed right. He had the next ‘No, not now.” answer. Anyone in their right mind would have given up by now, but my son was relentless:” Hey Jordie, lets play a game of h-a-s-t!” Unfortunately Jordie did not want to play, either. So with only Mitch to go, he went and stood in front of him and pleased:” Come on, Mitch. Are you up for playing h-a-s-t?” and there....finally! Mitch replied:” OK, but only if the others will play!”

So my little guy started from the beginning:” Hey, Cam! Do you want to play, Mitch will, if you do?” And so Cam was on board. Then the others were also persuaded one by one, until all of them joined in!

I watched this little scene unfold and could not help but smile to myself. What a great result. First none, then all! What I really loved was the fact that my son was undeterred by the ‘no’s’ he got, never dropping his enthusiastic, unshakable belief that if only he asked often enough, he would finally get a ‘yes’. Focussing on getting to the answer he wanted, rather than worrying about the ones he received!

To me this is the best parable to bring into our working world! Keep on searching for the ‘yes’s’ because you know, they are out there. You just have to stay positive, committed and believing enough to find them.

Happy Businessing!
Conny

DO YOU HAVE A STORY WHERE PERSEVERANCE HAS PAID OFF?
EMAIL ME YOUR PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE TO SHARE.

COACHING THE COACH

I have just had the experience of a life coaching session with a new connection in Geneva. And it is funny how, when the tables are turned, one can get a feeling first hand of what it is like to receive rather than to share.

Strangely I was really kind of nervous to start with and found myself a little uneasy and unsure of what to expect. Once we dived into it, I felt indulgent to spend the time on myself and to be speaking to a stranger about my thoughts, successes and challenges. To a stranger?!

Whilst we were going through her routine, I realized how daunting my prospects must feel, when they meet me for the very first time; excited and curious, yet a little dubious about what they should be preparing perhaps and what they might get out of it at the end. A little anxious even about what may be uncovered...

I had entered the conversation with an open mind and eventually was blown away by the impact it had on my emotions as well as the realization of true clarity for my personal and professional  ambitions.

We set some homework to get going on next steps after a blissful hour of someone’s undivided attention to hash out a plan of how I can best go about achieving my goals. No judgments or expectations on her part.

Since the coaching session, I feel energized and ready to roll with nothing that can possibly stand in my way. So here I am, fully fueled and ready to rock!

Being able to put yourself in your customer’s position, will certainly help you to feel their desire and needs and maybe their insecurities about buying from you. With this insight, you can ensure you tailor your approach and service, to reflect your customer’s expectations and deliver peace of mind from the start.

Take the time and do the exercise. Replicate a customer experience to truly get to the bottom of what they want and then give it to them. Why would they ever want to shop anywhere else?

Thank you, Vanessa (http://simplyzest.com/sz/) for giving me the customer’s perspective. I will hold this true in my heart and make sure, this lesson will be a valuable learning experience to better serve my clients.


Happy Weekend ;-)
Conny

THE POWER OF OBJECTIVITY

Can you remember the last time you received some form of communication from either a personal or professional connection maybe even via email and you thought to yourself: “What is that suppose to mean? I am not sure, I like the tone or content and don’t know what to do with this...?”

Or maybe you have an unhappy client that you are trying to dodge because you are unsure of how to diffuse the situation and make them happy again? Or a prospect that you don’t know how to proceed to successfully close?

Lots of different type of scenarios all with the same underlying current. What is the best way to move forward and what should you be doing next?

So where do you go for enlightenment? Do you talk to your partner/ spouse or maybe a friend or family member? Or even a potential business connection? And what kind of feedback are you thinking you might get from a person that is either very close to you or knows little about you and your circumstances?

Being an entrepreneur one of the toughest things is figuring out every step of the way without anyone else in the same boat! Whilst in a corporate environment, you have plenty of relevant people to help you identify the next best move when it comes to business strategy.

Unfortunately this ‘luxury’ does not apply, once you start out on your own.

Retaining an objective vision of the facts can be tricky when it is you and only your own interpretation of circumstances and best next actions.

I have seen people acting emotionally, leaving themselves open to substantial damage that could have been prevented if only they had requested some objective, qualified third party input prior to reacting without considering all aspects of the wider effects.

Get savvy and save yourself from potentially initiating wrong measures or missed opportunities due to lack of objectivity or emotional interpretation. We know, we all need it and better have the right person by our side to provide us with the second sober thought.

Happy Businessing!
Yours, Conny

NOTHING BUT EXCUSES

Meeting so many business entrepreneurs all of the time, one commonality is becoming very apparent, perceived challenges or events are used as justified reasons why business cannot be done.

Some claim the bad economic times are to blame for slow or no business. Others declare that the Olympics have caused pretty much all business activities to stop. The next find that summer holidays are a tricky time to do business because everyone is away on vacation. A different group thinks that winter is too cold and dark for people to want to do business and autumn is a time when many seek sanity in warmer climates. And as for moms in business, lets not even get started on school holidays, children's sick days and ProD days.

Yes, lots of reasons why business development could be a challenge. So how about looking at creating a more sustainable business model whereby you will not be heavily affected by seasonal changes or perceived downturns. Impossible you say? Then it is time to find yourself a professional adviser who can show you how you can be sustainable in any market at any time of year.

So stop making excuses and start taking control of your business!

INSPIRED TO LEAD

In the past 24 hours, the much anticipated Olympics made itself felt in our town. We have celebrated the arrival of the torch on Thursday night with some great entertainment, Loggers show and stunning fireworks.

Lots was on offer and the family had the opportunity of free photos with the torch through an initiative by Coca Cola, short personal recordings which will be shown in the background all the way through the Games and of course not to forget the lighting of the cauldron!

The following day, we cheered on the torch bearers which were within arms length coming through our neighbourhood and all the school kids, parents, teachers and neighbours came out, to see the spectacle unfold. 

The craziest thing was, that we met one of the torch bearers in person as she was waiting to be handed the flame. She was a young girl from Pemberton who had won a competition and there she stood quite alone, nervous and excited, ready to write history, wondering why she should be one of the chosen ones. She confessed that she didn’t feel ready for such an important and monumental task.

And that’s when it struck me that many of the women that I meet in business have the same feeling. Professional moms who after a successful career and some time out to become a mom, they find it hard to recognize their own worth when trying to re-enter the work force. Female entrepreneurs wondering if they are taking the right step into running their own businesses, because they don’t feel quite ready or not well enough prepared.

The truth is simple for the torch bearer as for my fellow women in business. Take leadership without questioning your worthiness. We have all been created equal and it is the ones who, in spite of their fears are prepared to leap forward and make things happen. There is no failure in trying and be assured in the know that you are as ready today as you will ever be. 

Be inspired as I am, love life and have faith in yourself!

Until next time,

Conny

DO OR DIE - BETTER REPLY!

One of my pet hates in business is, when people don’t get back to you. You send nice emails following some great conversations and then.......nothing!
You have meetings with people at their request, you follow up and then.......yes, you guessed right, nothing!

You are ready to place a large order or want to make an inquiry on behalf of a client, or have a small question following a purchase you have made and then.........nothing!

I come across this time and time again and so do lots of my clients and friends.

So initially one can’t help but thinking, that it must be a personal thing. Maybe a business cultural thing, I must have missed during my immigration! Because where I come from, businesses will always (!) respond to you, it is not just good manners but plain decent business ethics.

What gets me the most is, that everyone talks about business slowing down, or not enough opportunities or not sure how to continue to grow. Well guess what, if you ever bothered looking into your Inbox and dealt with all the people within, you would be surprised about the value that is locked up right there!

So here is some food for thought for people who have come across this strange phenomenon that has taken hold of business on the West Coast, if this irritates you as much as it does me, lets make a pact! Lets set a new standard of good communication!

Because you never know; the person who is trying to communicate with you, could hold the key to something great, exciting and valuable and if not right away, then certainly in the future.

A HEAD OF THE GAME

I have just completed my certification as a Donald Trump Associate and I must say it was intense! It has been a steep learning curve and I have met a number of incredible people on the way.

The interesting thing was, that in an audience of about 80 people, one of our tasks was to stand up and briefly introduce ourselves. Everyone had about 30 seconds to state who they are, what they do and what their goals are. How do you think that went? One would imagine that 80 professional and educated people have got this simple task right down to a ‘T’. Likely that they would need to do this on a regular basis in their chosen fields.

Interestingly the majority had to write their introduction down and read it straight from a piece of paper. Others tried it without and failed to deliver a powerful or even coherent message.  This really surprised me. However I could see that lots of my clients are challenged with the same apprehension, struggling to clearly state the introduction about their businesses and benefits.

If this rings true with you, consider how important the first impression is and how you can set yourself apart from the rest of the competition with a carefully orchestrated and practiced introduction.  Take the time and understand who you are targeting, what your unique benefits are and why you are the perfect and only choice to new prospects.

This sounds an easy task however most people find it incredibly difficult. So if you are one of those people, take control now and if necessary get professional to prepare a strong and powerful message.

The first impression is everything!

Kicking it to you!

Wow, first week of the New Year already behind us and I am sure you, have been busy getting back into the swing of things. The time to put New Years resolutions into action, making things better, working smarter, living healthier, being more present, spending more quality time with loved ones, achieving, creating and enjoying. Phew!

Why do we think, we have to be able to do it all, and all at once? Who has been given us the impression that we must have the first million in the next 12 months? Life coaches and counsellors have never been more busy trying to patch people up, when they are not coping well, with all the pressure that they are either putting themselves under or feel from outside sources.

Being the best at everything, well that is just plain impossible! Being the best mom, wife, cook, hostess, business entrepreneur with the highest standards of a healthy, loving, intellectual lifestyle with a twist of perfection.

I ask you, how is this all going to be achieved without a huge pre-programmed f*** up?

So here is the cure for my clients this year:  We are carefully looking at the Must Have’s first. Setting priorities in the beginning and writing them down together, is the first step. How much time will you be spending on yourself, your family and your business?

Divide it up and then set realistic financial goals and business milestones. Make them timely and together review at regular intervals. With those identified, we then break down objectives on how to get there, how much of that we can do together and what external resources and relationships we need to put in place.

With accountability thrown in, support & objective advice, my clients will have a professional advisor to keep them on track as well as sane!

Make your business manageable and therefore enjoyable in 2010!
Kindest,
Conny

VALUE VS VOLUME

With 2009 coming to a close, you will receive plenty of advice from business advisors around the province to reflect on your business performance over the past year and plan ahead for the next 12 months.

I want to send a more concrete message to my readers to finish of the year and prepare for the forthcoming months. 

As a business owner, consider one thing most of all, do you want your business to deliver real value to your customers or are you in the game for the numbers only? 

This will be the most important factor when going into the New Year. If you are all about increasing volume only, you will loose the number one key ingredient for loyal, long-term customer relationships. If you think your clients don’t feel the ‘conveyor belt philosophy’ that some businesses offer, think again. Each customer is highly informed and has more choice then ever to take their business elsewhere.

So the pressure is on, to offer high quality deliverables such as your products and services AS WELL AS outstanding value and customer care. Only then will you stand a chance to retain your good clients and build a solid foundation with a first class business methodology.

To all your customers out there: Do not put up with half hearted efforts, poor service and time pressured delivery! If you have doubts about the value of a certain service, ditch the unsatisfactory expense and replace it with the value you deserve. You are worth it! 

Happy Prosperous New Year to you all!

Conny Millard

The Godfather Mentality

Business relationships can quickly change in a blink of an eye! From employers to associates to suppliers, something happens that can turn a favorable connection into a bad one. 

This may be caused by a change in professional compatibility, conflicting aspirations or even personal circumstances that lead to one or both parties wanting to part.

How do you deal with your top performing employee or associate leaving your business? Do you wish them a heartfelt good luck in their future endeavors? Looking at what you could have done differently to retain such key people and to make sure you understand what made them go in the first place so you can improve for others? Or do you take it personally, turning the cold shoulder and maybe even looking to destroy their reputation?

The latter sounds pretty childish and unnessecary and not terribly professional. Maybe that was the reason for the person to leave in the first place?!

There are indeed business owners who take the loss of their star top performer or clients very personally and feel they can only get past this by actively sabotaging the ‘deserter’ either by misrepresenting the actual facts of this person leaving or even worse, spreading negative and maybe even untrue gossip within the business and industry to get back at them.

I have come across such people over and over during my career and am tired of witnessing such Godfather like behavior, where you have to be afraid they may come after you and ‘kneecap’ your business in order to seek revenge. 

So to all of those terrible losers and bullies - your unprofessional, shortsighted and immature behavior will trip you up in the long run. It will cost you your reputation within a potentially powerful network and might cut you out of valuable business opportunities in the future.

Godfathers beware - top performers will always come out on top!

Entrepreneurism - Not for Everyone

I have just learned that one of my former clients has decided to give up on her quest to battle through entrepreneurism. She contacted me to apologize for not being able to ‘stick it out’ and for thanking me to help her try to give it a proper shot.

This made me think that people who try themselves at setting up their own business, perceive their retreat back to the security of the corporate world as some kind of defeat or failure. I want to take this opportunity to put the record straight!

Firstly, it takes a whole lot of guts to take the step into the unknown, leaving a steady pay check, benefits and the support network of an existing company to try and go it alone. Finding the determination and the drive to continuously press on with little or no guidance or outside help, is not only daunting but can be very weary on the most passionate individual. 

Add to that the pressure of competition, negative outside influences or connections and maybe even active saboteurs who do not wish to see you become successful, the task to stay on track and find the positive focus to remain optimistic about the success of your business, can become insurmountable!

A whole number of key elements are at play to ensure, you stand the chance to persevere through hurdles and challenges. You will need an indestructible self belief, unshakable persistence, a very thick skin and most of all unconditional support.

The support needs to be in the form of professional help with tasks that do not play to your strength or require expert advice. A further prerequisite is ongoing accountability to ensure steady progress and growth but most importantly support from your family and loved ones. Physically would be great, financially could certainly help and emotionally to keep you believing in your abilities and chance of success.

A great big CHEERS to all of you trying to realize your dreams. You’ll never know the possibilities until you have thoroughly checked out the options!

Part XVIII - Whatever Next

As truly entrepreneurial spirits who love to discover and explore, an opportunity presented itself in 2006 for us to try life in Canada for a couple of years. 

Making the most of the skill shortage experienced nation wide, we decided to put our idyllic life to the test by challenging everything we knew and seeking the adventure to come to the West Coast. 

Initially we decided to go for a little break, leaving behind anything we new and getting prepared to venture into some unchartered territories for us. At that time we both enjoyed great careers, a wonderful home and lots of friends and family around us.

However realizing that opportunities are there to be grabbed with both hands, we sold our house and made off to the self proclaimed most Beautiful Place on Earth. 

It can not be underestimated the impact such a move would have on everyone’s life! By now, back home we had both grown to be the go to expert in our chosen fields whilst financial freedom was within easy reach.

Having said that, we knew, that the more we were prepared to venture out and stretch our comfort zone, the more we would grow and enrich our knowledge and expertise even further.

So by coming to Canada, we had not only found the adventure and thrill of the unknown but soon we would realize, that now we were in the land of endless opportunities!

Part XV - Small Business Needs

Here I was with a background of a large, corporate expense accounts, size-able marketing budgets and a team of experts in each department taking care off - well I didn’t really know all so well what it was they were taking care off every day!

It seems less significant when you are part of a massive machine, that has been well oiled and is fitted with it’s own GPS system telling you exactly which turns to take next and the direction it is heading.

Now as the maker and creator of your own destiny, well quite another story altogether!

So how does one get the word out about your product or service if you don’t have much money to spend? And how do you build a thriving business on a shoestring? By the time everything else had been purchased for the business such as tools, a complete office set up with computer, all in one printer, fax machine, business stationery, office supplies, oh and did I mention the new business mini van (company car had of course gone back...), insurances, there was no more money in the kitty!

So yes, maybe the corporate world had prepared us both very well in our various professions on big scale projects, but running a small business however was really quite on a different scale and magnitude. Everything starts and stops with you - no safety net, no emergency funds.

All of this and we haven’t even spoken about the actual work. Trying to figure out exactly HOW you want to do business. Your policies and rules on any aspect of how the company should feel, act and progress.

My marketing planning used to be based on fitting into the corporate business plan with extensive macro and micro environment research (Exactly!!!), the right marketing mix of communication tools such as print, PR and radio or TV with maybe a trade show thrown in!

And my husband? Well he is the very best money can buy when it came to actually doing the work, but customer consultation, design, quoting and quantity surveying - well these are all very specialist things that take a lot of time to define, practice and refine!

So when we weren’t busy looking for work, creating supporting documentation, planning, strategizing and learning accountancy - we fell into bed, exhausted, with two small children wondering if maybe tomorrow would be a day when they could ask for that play date they had been longing for so long!

And on the upside...................

Part XV - Going It Alone - Almost

During my time as a political candidate, one thing really stuck out at me and that was the entrepreneurship of local small business owners.

I had the opportunity to speak to a number of different industries and sizes of companies during my campaigning. The passion and determination was incredible and fueled by what I experienced coupled with my husbands vision to own his own construction business, it was sealed - husband and wife team setting out to going it alone!

With his technical expertise and my background in sales and marketing, we figured to stand a pretty good chance of success. We knew little about the finer details of running our own business. The accounting side was a new challenge that I had to master and it is today that I wonder why we went about it in such a painful and long winded way!

I was determined to learn a Sage Accounting System to ensure our financial wealth was well managed and carefully controlled. It took hours upon days if not weeks and many very late nights to educate myself in the art of accounting. Something that easily takes years to perfect and should be left to the experts!

Hindsight is a wonderful thing however when you are very close to your own business model, sometimes you just can’t see the obvious solution to more efficient and profitable processes.

The dream of being your own boss, running the business the way you think it is best and getting the opportunity to do things your way, come with an inevitable trade-off:

No-one holding you accountable to the objectives that you set
Full responsibility for every aspect of running a business, even the tasks you may not enjoy or are no good at
Working with a partner who holds equal shares, trying to agree on the most simplest of things
Managing your cash flow to survive as a business and as an individual with bills to pay
Getting out and drumming up opportunities

As you well know my fellow entrepreneurs - the list is endless!

To be continued.......

Part XIV - Look Behind the Scenes

When I started out as a young adult, I was full of idealism on how life should be and I was very firm on the rights and the wrongs! I suppose that this is no different to the younger generation who shares their opinions quite vocally.

Then, as you get older you start to realize that things are not always as cut and dry or black and white! So my idealistic views were replaced by more realistic alternatives and I started to understand the importance of choices, opportunities and circumstances.

Now looking behind the scenes of the political world, I was having one of those epiphanies where I experienced first hand the process of decision making and the real driving factors for some political entities.

My motto throughout my campaign was to serve the greater good of others, be honest and dependable and offer a channel for voices of the community to be heard. 

I know now what it is like to have your own press officer, to run a political campaign, the endless PR activities and public debates with the opposition. Canvassing door to door was something that was very scary at first! 

I suppose not unlike trying to do some prospecting in a business sense. You know your target market and you go and engage in a dialog to see if you can close the deal or win the vote in this case!

This experience has given me a lot of understanding and training in many aspects that can be translated into the business world.

One thing is for sure, stay true to yourself and focus on your model! The rest will come!

Part XII - The Next Step

This one really wasn’t easy! By now I had become an integral part of the company, had a gorgeous company car, laptop, expense account and made a massive financial contribution to the family income but yet, the position was swallowing all my time and energy. However this time I was determined not to let it get in the way of my family life. 

When I approached my boss to discuss how I could cut back on my working hours so I could create a better balance, well lets just say the conversation did not go as I had hoped. I was practically laughed out of his office?!!! My working colleagues thought I was weak and couldn’t handle the internal competition! There was nothing else for me to do but tell them what they could do with all their perks! That’s right, find a replacement who cared more for that stuff than me.

That night I drove home worrying how to break the news to my husband. I had quit my job without another offer on the table or the faintest idea what I should be doing instead.  After many years of being responsible and dedicated to my work, I just left all that I knew for the complete unknown.

I felt very guilty and stupid but also unbelievably free and exhilarated. I knew there had to be a better way of doing this. Being a mom and a business woman had to be something that can be achieved without needing to give up anything. But first I had to try one more thing - becoming the ‘mom at the gate’. 

Maybe that was my true calling and I should be a stay at home mom, looking after the families needs, getting involved in the local community, prepare home cooked meals and wait by the front door for my husband to come home.

Needless to say that he was thrilled by the time I got back that day. Me? I was not sure if I should be celebrating or calling my boss to ask for my job back. What had I done?

Part XI – Corporate vs Entrepreneur

Here are some questions you need to ask yourself before you consider taking the plunge to become an entrepreneur.

Having done exceptionally well in the corporate world, does that automatically qualify you for success? Are you able to live with the trait offs? Do you have the courage to set it up and then hang on in there against all adversities? 

Are you a visionary? Do you seek solutions rather than worry about the challenges? Are you committed to see it through and work hard even in tough times? Do you know where to start and who to turn to for help? Do you have a plan all mapped out to help you stay focused on what the next logical steps will be?

All these questions should give you some food for thought! We will take a look at other start up stories before I continue to share my own. So lets hear it from the field and leave us with your comments!

There is a great German saying for people who are self-employed: Translated it is ‘selbststaendig’ also understood as ‘staendig selbst’, which means ‘constantly, by oneself’!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Conny

Part IX – Success to Follow

Family life is a wonderful thing as long as everything is working smoothly, the financials are not a worry, everyone is healthy, mum and dad get a lot of quality time together, jobs are good, the children behave well, the in-laws are good friends, living accommodation is acceptable, the relationship with the spouse is just right.  Can you see where this is leading?

Exactly, this is not life! This is an ideal set up that most of us strive to achieve and no doubt do we have many things in place that are just the way we want them to be. However it is the other things that throw us off track, make us grumpy and stressed and in turn, cause trouble with the people around us.

If I have learned anything in my time than it is that everything comes with a compromise. In our personal and professional lives we have to be prepared to accept the challenges that come with every opportunity. 

In my position as Sales & Marketing Manager for 3 countries in the previous company, I had been working for, I enjoyed financial freedom, a certain status within the company and among colleagues whilst reaching professional development goals. The downside was the divide it caused in my family.

Now, in the new position as Partner Manager, I had to start from scratch. The technology, the company had developed was in depth and new. Really something to get your head around. New colleagues to gel with, management to impress, new relationships to build with key stakeholders internally as well as externally and a much longer and more complex sales cycle.

Still working everyday and with the added stresses outlined above, it took some time before I could settle down a little better into the new job and in turn be more chilled at home.

So, finally! Surely now was the time to kick back and enjoy work and family.

I had left behind the flat out stress from the previous company and could now start over. Well lets just say, you can take the woman out of a company but you can't take the company out of a woman! Meaning that history started to repeat itself far too quickly.....