This week, I was inspired by a quote that showed up in my life. It caused me to ponder our business journey and reflect on how Thomas and I have found our way back to the impact we love to have and the business we are building.
I want to share this ponder as none of us have a straight line to success; many of us even have to re-evaluate what success means to us personally. During my ponder, I wrote down six areas of our character and journeys through business that enabled us to keep going despite the knocks. I am sure you will resonate with these from your own journey in business.
In a recent interview we watched with Graham Norton, the singer Cher shared a powerful quote: “It’s harder to come back than to come.”
This struck a chord with me, especially thinking about the many entrepreneurs in our community who have faced significant adversities. Coming back, or rebounding after setbacks, requires not just effort but a deep understanding of oneself and one’s mission.
Here are six key lessons that Thomas and I learned on our journey back from challenges:
1. Humility in Lessons Learned
The path to recovery starts with humility and letting go of ego. It’s about acknowledging where we went wrong and being open to learn from those mistakes. Taking full responsibility for the losses and challenges and ensuring there is complete acceptance of them.
2. Knowing Your Drive
It’s crucial to understand what really motivates you and to recognise the core expertise that defines your purpose. This understanding reinforces the feeling, “I know why I am here.” We had six years in the ‘wilderness’, picking up work and building businesses that did not have our full hearts, but paid the bills. These are painful moments when purpose is not achieved, purely chasing the dollar. A very exhausting stage of our business journey.
3. Re-discovering Our True Purpose and Expertise, Through Others
Five years ago, following my ‘wilderness years’, in a conversation with our daughter, Hannah, I said:
“I know I am a businesswoman, but I don’t really know what my expertise is anymore.”
Hannah was shocked and replied:
“Mum, your expertise is community.”
Sometimes we just don’t see what is right under our noses.
This is why we all need others who know us deeply. Inside us all is the real reason we are here today.
4. Reputation and Relationships
Your network and the relationships you nurture can be your greatest asset. A strong reputation built on meaningful connections provides both support and opportunities.
5. Consistency
The internet knows you. It knows your life and journey; it might even know you better than you know yourself. Recently, there has been a flurry of people asking ChatGPT:
“Tell me something that I don’t know about myself.”
The replies many of us have received show the values and commitments we have made throughout our business journeys. They often demonstrate that our past actions align with our future plans.
Consistency of brand values, conversations, posts, and support—both online and offline—builds trust and shows integrity. Consistency proves to others (and yourself) that your path is well-considered and steadfast.
6. Adaptability and Learning
Technology and business modelling are the greatest challenges for us all. The speed of technological releases and changes to markets is now unbelievable. It’s critical to stay informed and not get too attached to the way we’ve always done things.
When I consider just this past year and how much we’ve adapted and applied new learning to our community of business owners within BIP100, I feel a huge sense of pride and relief. Thomas and I seek to innovate and inspire innovation.
Innovation in business is about two key strategies: a) Your business model—providing clarity for your clients and prospects, and showing empathy with the way your clients want to work with you. b) Your use of technology—ensuring everything you implement gives you more human time with your clients to understand and serve them.
2024 has to be the year we all embrace AI and deeper ways to automate tasks, enabling more time with our greatest asset: our clients.
Adversity is a friend to us all, despite the pain during the transition. It stimulates innovation and helps us see what we need to eliminate in order to thrive again. If 2024 has given you some challenges, can I suggest you be grateful and think deeply about the changes you will make to come back even better than before?
Thomas and I have full empathy. As Cher said: “It’s harder to come back than to come,” but believe us, the ‘comeback’ is a beautiful place to arrive at.
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