I was fortunate enough to attend the Kea ‘Inspire’ World Class New Zealanders day in Wellington yesterday and each of the speakers had compelling stories. Woven within each story were some real gems that resonated with me. Over the coming weeks I will share these and expand on them so we can hopefully all learn a little from these amazing people, their challenges and triumphs.
The first comes from Rebekah Campbell, founder of Posse, a business that evolved over time from a music management and promotions firm, to its current form as a network-endorsed list of places to eat, drink and shop – “Tell Posse what you want, like 'great coffee’, ‘brunch', 'salon' or ‘gym’, anywhere in the world and you’ll get recommendations from your Posse; your friends, their friends and some super special local experts”.
Rebekah shared one truism “Start-ups fail due to lack of money, time or energy/enthusiasm”, a statement this gets proven time and time again. Only one of these however, is always 100% within your control – energy/enthusiasm.
There is often a direct correlation between these there though – as the first two decrease, the third does also but at an alarmingingly increased rate. As deadlines loom and the bank balance becomes very malnourished, our energy wanes. But that’s when the tough and driven step ahead of the crowd and prove their mettle. Those success stories we all hear about - Steve Jobs, Anita Roddick, Steven Tindall and insert-your-hero’s-name-here, that’s often the defining moment for these people. You have a choice. You can give in and be stressed/miserable/sad/frustrated or you can suck it up, fake it till you make it, paint on a smile and push through. That is your choice, and it is your choice in every moment.
So if the energy is waning, make sure you are looking after the basics - tap into your support network, get outdoors, give to others, eat well, have a tech-break every day, do what energises you and remind yourself WHY you started this journey and remind yourself that no-one has it easy, if it did, we’d all be hugely successful.
If you need some inspiration and to ramp up your energy then head outside for a quick walk, grab a coffee and then take your pick from these some resources to help re-ignite the passion:
Harvard Lecturer Shawn Achor on the 21 Happiness Challenge
5 Inspiring Videos Every Business Owner Should Watch
