A Year I Never Imagined

As the year closes, I can’t help but reflect on the difference a year makes to my own personal development.

Exactly one year ago I resigned from a job I absolutely loved. A job that I felt so passionate about, a company that believed in me and a place where I received executive sponsorship and support to grow. The question for me last year was “how do I marry a professional high with a personal low?”

Earlier in the year my world was completely shaken by hearing the words “you have cancer”. I thought I was immune to those words, and I certainly didn’t think those words would cause me to pivot in my tracks at such a pinnacle point in my career. What I didn’t realise at the time is that my attitude and how I handled such a daunting process would ultimately lead me down a new entrepreneurial path that would end up being one of the most rewarding things I’ve done.

The thought of starting my own coaching business was incredibly daunting and there were so many times I dismissed the idea, but I continually reminded myself that nothing would be as hard as those three scary words I heard earlier that year. Attitude and mindset are everything and after I gained clarity that my passion lies with helping others realise their true potential, nothing was going to hold me back.

Many people have asked about my transition from the corporate to the entrepreneurial world this year. What I tell them is that if you have a huge goal and a purpose that you care so deeply about, you’ll use all the skills that you’re unconsciously aware of to power up your dream. Your network is also an extremely valuable asset when embarking on entrepreneurialism and it’s important to make every impression lasting. One of the biggest things to change, was of course, my schedule and ability to be so flexible, however with my newfound flexibility came serious discipline and hustle, and to hold myself accountable to, well, myself. I’ll admit that I was also worried about feeling isolated when I left the corporate world, but technology put that worry to bed. 

As it turns out, technology is an entrepreneur's best friend. Not only because it allowed me to seamlessly stay connected to my network and clients, but I’m able to use tools like video calls, social media, online calendar organisers, and many more platforms that I’m only just starting to learn about, to support me and help me build this business.

All in all - what I have learned this year is this: whether you’re in the corporate world or an entrepreneur, treat every day as if it were your last and make the biggest impact you can. We have control of our minds and we are responsible for our own choices and ultimate happiness in life. And I, for one, am going to do everything I can to let that happiness flood in.

With my health in focus and realising that I only had one chance to make my biggest impact on this world, I took the opportunity to reflect back on my two-decade corporate journey. Two decades flew by without me even taking the time to understand what it was that I was doing well. Connecting to people and empowering others to feel good about themselves was something I was unconsciously doing for almost 20 years. Building teams and allowing, encouraging, and supporting people to bring their best energy to the office was something I took so much pride in. When you install confidence and belief in others, they feel appreciated and empowered which transfers to people they connect with. If people show up to an office excited to be part of a team, a culture and an overall company mission, they will put their best energy forward.