For a while I had been thinking about starting my own business, partly because I thought I could be successful and partly because I never quite fit with the corporate structure. So when the opportunity presented itself, I decided to dive into the deep side of the pool. It was actually a relief as I made the commitment and thought; finally, I will make it based on my abilities, determination and skills….or it will be a bust and I will be back in the corporate world again. Which, truth be told, made my stomach churn.
I have never quite understood why I always felt different working in corporations. Perhaps I never felt I fit in with the structure, bureaucracy or limits. Whenever walking into work, no matter how successful, I could feel tightness around my throat, which made me gasp for air. Many of my friends like the structure and the security of the corporate life, which on the one hand I understand, but on the other striking out on your own, without a net is very liberating and exhilarating with a hint of terror.
“To thine own self be true,” says Polonius in Hamlet by Shakespeare. Okay, if I truly believe in the essence of those words then I must be true to myself and accept that I am not a perfect fit in the corporate world. Perhaps I found the corporate world too confining, perhaps it was the decision making process, perhaps is was the no decision making process or perhaps I could see opportunity that was not in line with the direction of any given company. Now I get the chance to put my thoughts and ideas into practice.
I know I’m not saying anything new but when you are “it” – you succeed or fail by your own decisions, your own strategy and your own execution from finance to marketing to operations. I absolutely Love It!!
As I grow my business, I am thoroughly enjoying marketing, networking, sales, developing partnerships and alliances, and most importantly growing long-term relationships with my clients. I know this is the right decision for me. I enjoy flying the plane and even if I crash and burn – at least I’m in the cockpit.
It’s okay to admit you don’t fit into a system or a dynamic, it’s okay to think differently, it’s okay to try to add value to a business even if it is “not the job you were hired for” and it’s okay to believe in yourself.
It’s okay to be a square hole in a round peg – enjoy it and be different!!!!
