Our company Dodici Capital Solutions (Pty) Ltd is 19 years old. To be honest I did have doubts about getting this far – doubts that always niggled in the back of my mind due to all the negative statistics about businesses that fail. That is why this message is so important – pursuing a dream which turned into the reality of achieving “19 years of business success”.
Writing this blog is a reminder to me and the readers of how important it is to celebrate what is really important to us. I started the journey with excitement, nervous energy, and very hard work. During the 19 years, I have learnt and grown a lot, and have had plenty of ups and downs. There were lows; however, they never lasted that long and were followed by a high that created new hope. I knew the theory but to live it in your own business takes courage and tenacity, protection and favour, great networks, and solid values. Nothing is possible alone and I learnt very quickly the power of various network circles around me and our business.
I knew that starting a business was a risk and that success was not guaranteed. However, I am a true Entrepreneur and failing was not an option. I want to give credit to all the people around me who have been part of this success story to date.
- Starting with my Heavenly Father who protected me, assisted me, and created a lot of insights for me through (listing only a few) daily devotions, scripture readings, answers to prayer and meditations.
- Secondly, my family members. They have witnessed what has happened to me on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis. Without their support this would not have been possible.
- Thirdly, my loyal customers over the years who have given me the chance to work in their businesses and with their people. What a privilege it has been to build trusted relationships that have stretched over many years.
- My internal and external team members who have worked with me during these 19 years.
- Thank you to you all.
Entrepreneurs are those individuals who identify a need in the market and are prepared to take the necessary risks to deliver a solution to satisfy the need. Success, for me, is when the risks taken result in excellent client interactions.
Building your own business is not only about generating wealth, but also about contributing to society. A big motivator for me was, and is, to make a difference in the world, one person at a time and most recently through working with teams.
What is needed to make this possible:
- Be a lifelong learner by being curious, while also having the courage and resilience to figure things out.
- Finding comfort in being outside your comfort zone, while learning something new, implementing a test case or case study to imbed the learning for future implementations.
- Thinking long term when a change is evident. This changes the way we do things for future possibilities.
- Being flexible and creative in problem solving (inside your organisation and outside, while serving your customers).
- Thinking strategically and operationally while making backup plans – to minimize risk.
- Regularly “sharpening the saw” – this refers to the personal development in your business services. It helps you to stay informed, to stay on track with the market needs and allows you to be confident enough to show up for the next business challenge in your customer base. New solutions are very specific to each client, and in the industry of Coaching and Mentoring; no previous project is the same as the next one. It makes it exciting and gives a person like me, who likes to change and to grow continuously, the will to seek the means to make every client engagement a successful one.
- Taking a day off a week for self-care. By doing this, it allows you to stay healthy, relaxed, and focussed to be there for others as your best self. Showing up depleted does nothing for anybody around you.
- Taking time to celebrate – this creates memories that you can use to pull you through the difficult times. Completing a journal of the journey is important as it keeps a record of where you have been and what you have been through.
My challenge to you:
- Identify an achievement that is very important to you.
- Take time to say thanks and to celebrate the achievement.
- In celebrating, make memories that you can hold on to.
- Don’t rest on your laurels, expand your list of achievements – the more the achievements the greater the number of celebrations and memories.
- Write it in your journal and share it with your network.
I am looking forward to hearing from you about what and how you have celebrated.