So why do so many of us feel the need to drive in this lane towards perfection? Are these expectations doing us more harm than good?
Finding your true purpose
I've lived an interesting life. Like many entrepreneurs I have gone from having an idea to seeing it through, having another idea and seeing it fall in a heap and then the momentum of building a business to heights that you actually have never imagined.
Some people surprise me
I am curious to know what makes one person in an organization really stand out from the rest. As a seasoned entrepreneur with more than 10 years under my belt, I am constantly being reminded, if not surprised by the most interesting individuals in my team.
Today, I found out two things; the first is that I am not as bad as I thought when it comes to finding a solution to a problem and secondly, that if you give someone an opportunity, its the only way to see if they have the ability to shine or not.
As a person who is no stranger to having to pull up my sleeve, my first thoughts are always that I have to do it on my own - but I have something to share with you and it is that that is not always the case. In fact, if you reach out to your team and share your experiences and problems, they are usually the ones who come up with the solution that is best suited to your business or you personally. Your staff know you better than you think, and if you are delusional enough to think that by hiding in your office, that they don't, then you have a lot to learn.
I have been in Sydney for the last few days and I am so happy to experience the city that I love dearly, with my team. I usually waltz in and waltz out, within a day or two, and have my time so filled with meetings that I don't spend enough time getting to know the people around me.
Do you have a new best friend?
It’s been five days of the best Miami has to offer coupled by discussing entrepreneurial topics, life and success (or in some cases, lack of) with some very versatile, uninhibited entrepreneurs who all seem content to share stories and experiences while enriching each other’s lives through old-fashion mateship.
When I was just 25 years old, the then Chairman of Citibank in Australia organised for me to meet Wendy McCarthy, who at that time was on numerous boards including John McGrath's, McGraths Real Estate board and acted as a mentor to senior managers in many of Australia's top companies.
Yesterday, I wrote a blog on how women can help their man be more successful. As promised, today I am publishing how men can help their women be more successful (in business).
If you are a man and lucky enough to have a woman that is determined, ambitious, talented and intelligent - as well as owning their own business or having a high flying career - then count your lucky stars. You are in the minority,Coming from a European family, where the men rule the roost and women play the pivotal role of supporting their man, I am an advocate of women doing what it takes to support their families and in particular, the men in their lives.
When I grew up, my father was the provider. He took the rubbish out and mowed the lawn. He fixed anything that needed to be fixed.
5 Things That Every Woman Should Do If They Want To Get Ahead In Business
With a bookshelf full of every book genre imaginable, I am working my way through Small Giants - Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham. My good friend Kingsley Smith (from Kingsley's restaurants fame) gave it to me to read and I can't seem to put it down. Luckily for me, its raining outside and last night I celebrated a friends birthday, so I am little bit weary.
As I read, I am getting more and more inspired. It is encouraging me think beyond what I am reading and imagining the lives of other business women around the world and what makes one more successful than the other or for that matter, more happier than the person next to them.
What Women Want
The race that stops a nation
A last minute decision to attend the ‘race that stops a nation’ reminded me why gossip magazines sell so well and how gen-y is absorbed with the idea of celebrity, so much more than I remember my generation ever being.