Leap of faith

This summer while at a friend’s cottage, I witnessed her young son taking a bold, brave leap off the dock into the lake.  Now this was something he’d wanted to do for ages, but had never quite had the courage to do.

His face as he achieved this milestone, first with his life jacket on and then without it, was a picture of sheer joy and pride.

It made me think of the perseverance and determination we need as small business owners to achieve our goals and that sense of accomplishment we feel when we close our first big deal. It makes all the hard work to get there worthwhile.

The key, as our young diver showed, is you don’t give up.  You just go closer and closer to the edge until you feel you can make that leap of faith, that you will succeed.

Fired by his successes, he moved on to finessing and turning his jump into a dive, and with that successfully achieved, we had a hard time getting him out of the water!

Maybe this summer you stuck your toe in the entrepreneurial pool, gingerly lowering yourself into the water.  Know that there will come a time when you have to get wet, when you have to just go for it, and when you do, know that like my friend’s son, we are behind you, cheering you on because we believe in you and we know you can do it too.

Get ready to make your big splash. 

Our attitude to risk

In his broken English, the elderly Italian café owner took our order, but he hesitated before he moved away and asked my husband if he could ask a question. “Is that a good watch?”  he asked.  My husband replied yes.  “Then put it away,” he advised.

That was our first official sign that Naples had a high crime rate.  Although the staff at the hotel in Rome, had warned us about taxi scams and the like.

I immediately took off my watch and zipped it into my purse.  My husband, on the other hand, waited until we got back to our hotel, and then took it off and we locked them away in our room.  As I looked around after that, I noticed not many people wore watches, especially the tourists.  Maybe it was the old boy’s mission to warn us all about the dangers out there.

But to a certain extent, I let the café owner’s warning colour my visit. I became much more cautious, hugging my purse close to me, always zipped up. I’d almost scan an area, looking for potential trouble. If we ended up in a dubious-looking street, I had us turn back. 

And when we went for a late drink in the square near our hotel and observed cocaine being bought, sold and used, I was decidedly uncomfortable and anxious to leave Naples, with its crime and drug scene, behind us.

Yet, it didn’t seem to faze my husband at all. He felt we were being practical, taking steps to protect ourselves and our property, and should just step out, not be afraid and enjoy the experience. 

As I reflect on our different reactions, it strikes me that this is perhaps indicative of how men vs. women do business as well. 

Men tend to forge ahead, unafraid of risk as they are confident that they’ve taken the right steps and precautions and therefore should succeed. 

Women, on the other hand, are more risk averse.  Their perfectionism can hold them back as they want it all right before they proceed.  One sign of trouble, and they question their wisdom, while men seem to bounce back.

I don’t regret visiting Naples.  It was an eye-opener and even fodder for this blog, but my main take away, is that I need to chill, be less nervous and not imagine danger lurking around every corner.  (Even if it was).

You're not alone

This week I have had several emails from people just starting out. It takes me back to my early days when I first launched my consulting practice and was constantly second-guessing myself. Should I have done this… should I have done that.. What if…

It really is a time of uncertainty and there were days (and there still are) when I questioned my sanity and my ability to work for myself. Mind you these days, I joke that I am no longer employable. You get very used to calling the shots, but with that control comes the responsibility and knowledge that the buck stops with you.

One woman was asking if she should join a network and I really encouraged her to test out the ones in her city. Meeting up with other business owners helps reduce the sense of isolation you can feel and you quickly realize that you are not alone. One thing I have found in running Company of Women is that it doesn’t really matter what business you are in… the issues are usually the same – cash flow, finding customers, marketing, websites, finding and keeping staff, etc…

Through all the connections I have made at Company of Women, I enjoy linking people and it's been fun to match someone in a business in one city, with someone in a similar business elsewhere. To me that is what networking is all about. Listening and helping each other.

One of the joys of the Internet, is that it is so easy to connect and reach out for help. And that was my invitation to these women… email me, let me know how you are doing, and when you want to celebrate or vent… I’m just a click away.