The Now Button

2009- What Would You Make of It?

The year did not start off the best by any stretch of the imagination. I had a regular meeting with a manager and his first words (first day back) were ‘your position has been made redundant’. For anyone else that has ever been in this position you will know what I mean when I say that it is like the world stands still and you are looking back at yourself. The sheer shock of the statement, coupled with the timing was the timing, was a real head spinner.

To give a little more perspective to my situation at the time, I had just taken our business unit through an audit process that had taken me the better part of 2 months to prepare for. We passed with flying colours just prior to the Christmas break. There was also the rather large issue of our second baby on the was in 3 months, and facing a situation with 2 parents not working was a scary fact.

At some point several weeks later I made the decision to start my own business within the research industry. It is something I probably jumped into a lot quicker that I should have, but from what everyone says it’s the only was to do it. Had I not, I would still be contemplating things. Setting up a company and having a second child in the same few weeks is not really something that I would recommend to most, but it was just another step in a wild ride for 2009.

In March we were greeted with our lovely baby daughter with a smile that just lights up a room. Even when I was sitting up for nights on end figuring how I would pay the bills (and I still do at times), her smile at those night feeds and early morning wake ups would make it all worthwhile.

Towards the middle of the year things started to settle down with Demi sleeping better and the business taking on that magical second and then third client. It is amazing what a different feeling it is when you have more than one client, you go from a virtual employee to a business.

The support that I received from family and friends throughout the year has been without a doubt a life saver. The other groups that have been an amazing source of motivation and inspiration have been the people who attend the @CoffeeMornings. I started attending only this year, and have met such a vast array of people that have really helped replace an office social environment that I miss.

It was at this meet up that Gavin Heaton (better know as the Servant of Chaos) asked me to participate in the Man Week campaign being conducted by Triple J and the Inspire Foundation to help men talk about their feelings and to combat issues faced by young male- specifically depression and suicide. I started with this post, and then a second post for the Man Week campaign, and ended up culminating in The Perfect Gift for a Man book.

If you asked me at the beginning of 2009 if I thought I would have my own company and have contributed to a book to help change peoples lives, I would have told you to switch to decaf.

It has been extremely hard work with the business in the first year, but is has also been incredibly rewarding. Having control over my environment and knowing that when I work harder I seen the fruits of my labour, is a very satisfying thing. Instantly becoming the Director, Sale Manager, Marketing Manager, IT Manage, HR Manager, CTO, CFO and Receptionist is a bit of a culture shock as well.

So now I am sitting on the couch at what is almost the end of a VERY interesting year. New child, new business, new life and more. It all started with bad news at the beginning of the year and has ballooned into nothing but positive energy.

Ask you self- if the same thing would happen to you next year, what would you make of it?