Leaving the corner office
The view of the Wellington harbor was forever changing but who had the time to take it in - to really sit and just ponder it?
I’m Carol Reid - one of your 90 Day Divas.
I was in a high energy role in the Capital City of New Zealand, working alongside a well-regarded and respected CEO and I just didn’t have a chance to even B-R-E-A-T-H-E! I’d been experiencing a bit of anxiety but nothing that a glass of wine couldn’t fix - after all, there were many people relying on me to meet deadlines and perform.
The ongoing stress was setting in and I just knew I couldn’t keep up this frenetic pace. On the outside, I looked like I had it all under control (and I pretty much did for the most part), but on the inside a nagging thought kept raising its head “Do you want to keep working at this stress-driven pace or do you want something different?”
Way back, before my corporate career, I’d gotten my first taste of entrepreneurship. When I was ten I sold my first set of hand-crafted doll clothes to a shop in town for $1.50. They then onsold them for $4.50. I was outraged - how could they put a markup like that on my sweat and tears? That was my introduction to the wholesale/retail chain and my first introduction to the exchange of money.
But back to the view. So there I was, sitting at my large desk overlooking a gorgeous landscape. I knew I was smart and I knew I could be adaptable because previous evidence from traveling, moving, and living around the world had taught me that. I was a good problem solver - it was one of my strengths to be able to look for the third alternative. So I made a decision - it was time to move on and let go of that great paycheck and say goodbye to the Wellington skyline.
It was time to explore what owning my own business could be like. It was scary and exciting all at the same time. I tried not to listen to my colleagues at work, because I knew they were just looking out for my best interests by sharing their fears with me. However, I also knew that if I didn’t do it now, when would I do it? If I didn’t change things now, I’d be as unhealthy, overweight, sleep-deprived, one-drink-shy-of-an-alcoholic that ALOT of the other high-performing people at work around me were.
IT WAS TIME TO CHANGE AND ADAPT. Confidence isn’t something you have, it’s something you create through taking action. You can’t THINK yourself confident (though affirmations, visualization and practicing do all help) because ultimately you have to DO confidence - you have to do the thing to feel confident at it. Fake it ‘til you make it has its place, but I prefer FAITH it ‘til you make it and TRUST in the process.
Fast forward to buying a franchise, moving to a city where I knew only my partner, eating egg sandwiches for dinner at times because there was literally no money for anything else, employing staff, having two kids, getting married (in that order), buying and selling properties, a near-death experience and here we are with three businesses and an emerging international client base.
I’m still living life at a high energy pace (that’s just who I am) but the difference is it’s my energy expelled that is coming back to me - not energy being spent on corporate politics and measuring up against others. I get to decide my day and how I want to spend my time (mostly!).
So if you want a change but aren’t sure what that looks like, I’m talking to YOU - who is ME of 20 years ago. If I’d had “a me” in my life back then I would have definitely had a chat.
