Tag: Success - Page 4

When you are a successful woman, you are expected to be a whole heap of things, even if some of them you are 'faking it until you make it'.

I know first hand how much I have to perform. I have to hold a room in a meeting, and ensure that I am articulate, on point and relevant. In the office, I have to look like a leader and inspire my team to be high performers. At lunch with clients, I am on a stage. I have to entertain, say things worthwhile, make them laugh and show them that there is a real person under this business persona. At a staff Christmas party, I have to show my team that I am one of them, but I can't drink too much (not that I want to), and I am completely responsible for every persons behaviour and safety.

A huge wake up call happened to many people I know last night, and it was a shocking reality. When someone needs you, they need you. They may not come outwardly in saying what is the exact problem or what they are going through, and that is something we all need to be reminded of.

The world works in wonderful ways, and quite often we don’t even realise it.

We were all meant to be doing the things we are doing, for the time we are doing it. That is a fact.

I have never been more busy in my life. I remember 2 years ago feeling completely overwhelmed by having so much on my plate, and feeling as though I was floundering.

I kept on taking on more 'stuff' and it wasn't a case of not being able to say no. I simply wanted to do all the things I was doing and they were important to me. I hired two personal assistants and that worked wonders, except I decided that they were too good to be personal assistants and moved them promptly into other roles.

Marketing Eye has been a pioneer of the outsourced marketing department concept. We brought the concept to the forefront some 13 years ago, and have since forged a new market where companies can outsource to one company with no freelancers their entire marketing needs.

Never want to work a day in your life, then speak with a passionate entrepreneur and you will fast realise that this is very possible.

Entrepreneurship may not be for the faint-hearted, but it certainly has a lot of pros and not as many cons.

When I was young, sub-25 years of age, I never had an opportunity to go to a conference that had a line up of speakers quite like that of the North Queensland Entrepreneurs Conference. In fact, I really didn't know it existed. Well, it doesn't and certainly a lineup as inspiring as the one put together for Townsville on 8 November 2016, has not been done before.

Yesterday was a pivotal moment in my life. That is a big call I know, but it was a conversation with my mentor that I didn't realise would have such an impact.

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I was rambling as I do about business, and explaining to him what I was doing - basically giving him an update. I had listened to him when he gave me some important, game changing advice,  and his strategy for my business made perfect sense to me moving forward, so the wheels are now in motion.

In fact, I was using this advice, and kicking some serious goals.

I'm proud of you

Then the bombshell. He said, "I am very proud of you."

I never look for praise, and while I do receive it from time to time, I suppose I never take it in. Two instances of late where I have, have come from my best friend of over 20 years, and of course, my mentor.

My father has passed

My father passed away a few years back and didn't really know what I did. My mother doesn't really know what I do. I am not the daughter that rings up and says "I achieved this today" and have been brought up not to skite about achievements. So, in some ways that has suppressed many of the accomplishments that have been made along the way. I don't talk about "winning" or "succeeding" or achieving a bucket list item to my family and friends. 

In many ways, my biggest outlet happens to be this blog.

For the man that I hold in the highest esteem, and admire most in the world, to say that to me, made me pause. Previous to that we were talking about the fact that I didn't think I needed people to praise me or to be acknowledged for my work. He called me out. He said, "of course we all like to hear that we are doing a good job."

I thought about it, and in my mind, it matters only when it comes from the unexpected or from someone that means a lot to you.

I look up to my mentor

In this case, I look up to my mentor. I admire his business accomplishments, ability to always make time for friends and his family values. They are the things that I respect in a person. They are the things that I want to be myself.

It is true that I am kicking goals, but its only because I am listening to people wiser than I will ever be. They are so smart that I can only dream of having half their intelligence. Talking to him yesterday reminded me that the sky is the limit. I really have the ability to achieve things that I never thought were possible. On top of that, I have a great team behind me routing for me and our brand all the way. 

For him to say that he is proud, meant something. He is right. From the right person, it means everything when you are acknowledged. How lucky am I to have such amazing people in my life? Blessed is all I can say.

It's raining outside and our whole Melbourne team is meant to be playing tennis as a team bonding session. 

A few of us are not so sure, mainly because we are women and we have things to go to after work which require our hair to be "beautiful". Rain is not conducive of that.

Randomly, I pick up two tennis rackets from my office and a whole heap of balls and then grab Lisa O'Keeffe, and we start playing tennis in the middle of the office. Firstly, you have to have an office big enough - which we have, and secondly, you have to be prepared for anything to happen. Broken computer screens, lights, dints in walls, people being hit - in general chaos. But what is the worse that can happen? Someone gets hurt? How hurt would you become from a tennis ball? I pinch of pain never hurt anyone, or at least that is what we all agreed.

People often ask me how I do it. I travel continuously and have so for many years, without as much as blinking an eye lid. Booking my next flights is to me just part of the parcel of having a job that takes me across three continents.