We, Entrepreneurs, need the Magic of Dawn
About the silence, a kind where you can smell the season in the air. You smell rain, flowers or just crisp freshness. You hear the birds sing, and importantly, it is a time when I can focus. A time when I can get some of the small tasks that often cause stress and confusion can be knocked out of the way when I can pack the lunchboxes and watch the ginger cat stretch out on the chair next to me in the home office.
Reflections on a Moonlit Shore
I’ve been away from my house with my family for the first time in almost three years. It was magic! We rented a place on the beachfront. A rare moon was out and reflected on the ocean, making it look like this giant mirror to heaven every night.
For me, it was a time of self-discovery.
It is just like riding a bike. So get back on the horse!
I told my story in the last few months – however raw it was. I have written down many intensely personal accounts of life as an entrepreneur, wife and mother.
So, today I want to compare where I am and my life experience with riding a bike—or preparing to saddle that horse and get back on it.
The Entrepreneurial Cornicles of a Veteran
I would imagine this is what a soldier feels after a war: tired in various ways, traumatized and even maybe a little lost.
I have learned more about teamwork, people, and the signs we often miss early (“ominous”). Or write them off as something other than what they are in the last three months than in my 39 years combined.
The Silent Forks and Crossroads
Reflecting on 2020 and 2021, as I think many of us have, I have found myself at a somewhat loss for words. When asked about it, I have said that I am on a slightly weird wordless fork or crossroads in my path. Over the years and having worked with many entrepreneurs in my profession, I have seen them go through these weird wordless places, forks and crossroads. Often, they have had a lifetime of hard work and wanted a slower pace. Or after trauma in business (yes, there are traumas in business), when enough is enough, they call it a day or make drastic changes.
The First Day of School
Today was a weird day in many ways. We have been prepped and received a lot of perhaps unsolicited advice. So, on all accounts, it should have been a big day that we were going to embrace. I was bursting with pride that my firstborn was now in a prestigious big school, but some part of me also experienced an immense sense of loss. As I share my experiences, I cannot help but notice similarities. It makes me think of all the emotions we experience when starting a new business and hitting our first milestone.
Debrief, Apologies and Restoration as a Leader
In the business context, this can be the single most vital component to master. His perception must change to protecting being “right” and focus on a culture of continuous improvement. This would include restoring relationships that may have been impacted by whatever was not working from a system or a process point of view. The fact is that the system and process drive behaviour – change will be inevitable. Being connected and mindful of the impact of relationships is a much more proactive way of dealing with challenges. Statistically, it has shown a yield of higher team retention and impactful leadership.
Doing Push-Ups in the Thunder
This has been one of the most brutal weeks in my life. Running three businesses, dealing with a critically ill husband, pandemic year-end fatigue, runaway pets (that thankfully returned), allergic reactions that were intercepted in time, pets getting stuck in weird places, dealing with a green swimming pool, school requests and a three-year-old with sinusitis (in no particular order).
I knew that it would be tough, so I planned and prepared. However, a few days before this week and even in it, everything went wrong emotionally….
The long and winding journey to Mount Zion
Today I am feeling sad. We lost my father in law this past weekend. It made us realise that what we have been preparing for – the loss of a generation has started. This morning I was driving to Cape Town, and I listened to a song I often avoid on my playlist. A song I danced to with my father when I got married. It is a song that always brings me to tears. So I listened today…
The hourglass, treadmill and the bonsai…
No, I will not start this post with … so, an hourglass, treadmill and bonsai walk into a bar, I promise. Jokes aside, this morning, I went for a walk. As I was walking, I remembered my walks in the city, just as I arrived in Cape Town (14 years ago), to and from the courthouse, post office, advocates chambers and other public offices. Back then, it was about keeping costs low and moving more.