As I sit here looking at our new website, I find myself reflecting on the 10+ years it’s taken to get here.
I moved here to Brisbane’s Bayside in Australia from Scotland almost 13 years ago, and some days I feel like I just arrived and am still finding my feet! Which I think is generally a good analogy for opening and running a business – no matter how long we’ve been doing it for, there’s always something pops up and reminds us we are continually learning and adapting to new circumstances and changes around us.
My biggest shifts and business growth in the last 10 years have been due to my decision to focus more clearly on the specific support I offer to my clients, and my recognition and acceptance of the importance of meaningful work to me.
Whilst initially I wanted to offer workspaces for business owners and entrepreneurs to become part of a community, the expertise I offer requires me to be more present 1:1 with the business owner, rather than ‘in passing’ in those workspaces. And I still wholeheartedly encourage and facilitate collaboration and flexible work practices, which have resulted in many businesses supporting one another and thriving in that flexibility.
I now work almost exclusively with business owners and entrepreneurs who provide services which align with my own values. So I choose to do meaningful work, which is specifically one of my values, for people who, in their own field, are changing the world to be a better place. For me, meaningful work is around fairness – another of my values. And I do it all through my own strengths of perspective and creativity.
Learning about the importance of values and strengths in business was a game changer for me. There were lots of tasks and roles I could ‘do’, but they weren’t always my key strengths (ha ha – Introvert vs Networking challenge – anyone remember me from those days?!), and there were times I was ‘busy working’ but not feeling fulfilled, because it wasn’t necessarily work that was meaningful to me.
These changes didn’t happen overnight – as the ’10 Years On’ title clearly shows, but the collaborations, trusted business relationships, and personal development that I’ve experienced over those years have brought me towards a place of balance and contentment. And so much gratitude for the learning along the way – some of it was utterly unpleasant at the time, but absolutely necessary for my growth.
So I’ll keep on blogging, working and learning – feel free to join me here on the journey, and I’d love to hear your own stories of collaboration and growth if we happen to end up in the same space at some point in the future!
