Wow. I can’t believe I have just celebrated four years in business.
I launched this business back on March 1, 2015, and it appears to get busier as time goes on lately!
Is this business what I expected, three years on? No.
Is it the biggest journey so far of my life? Professionally, yes, it is.
Can I have explained what I’m going through now as what I imagined four years ago? Not at all.
Would I change a thing? No, I wouldn’t.
Lonsdale Agribusiness has opened my mind and I have met so many inspiring people.
It hasn’t been easy – but life isn’t meant to be. Instead it’s about creating memories and learning new things all the time.
What do you do? You take the opportunities. You fake it until you make it. You say yes, and then find out how to do it. That has been my philosophy since I began this business, and I am so proud of what it has become.
In November 2014, I sat opposite my superior at an Agri Finance institution to have one of our regular one-on-one discussions. Without thinking, or knowing, what was about to come out of my mouth, I knew I needed to move on from this job and carve my own path. Without consulting any family members or my husband, I resigned – but with seven weeks’ notice – looking back I probably should have consulted people about my choice to leave, however sometimes you just have to go with that internal intuition aka “gut feeling”.
Whilst that was perhaps the hardest financial choice I had ever made to date, and the hardest personal one given how young my children were at the time, I am so glad I did it. If I had the time to think about it for too long, I probably would have never made that leap.
I had no idea what would happen next. What did happen next is I took a break over the summer holidays and our son was about to start school. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the holidays with our children – but we had to get used to seeing each other more often – this was also an experience.
I also got to start planning the next part of my career. In March 2015, I launched my business. I thought it would cover expenses, until I started studying again, before I decided what direction my career was going to take.
Then the phone calls started, and to this date they have continued and hence my business started and continues to evolve as the clientele requirements differ.
You could not believe how truly grateful I am to the people who actually had faith in me and gave me a chance back in the beginning from a personal and professional level there are several people I have to thank. Whilst some relationships don’t continue on the journey with you the whole way, all relationships need to be acknowledged for the assistance they have provided for me to develop my goals.
I’ve made mistakes, but life is about making mistakes. I’ve learnt from them, and I hope I’ve made a difference in people’s businesses. I honestly think I have.
I am open to my own personal development, and I love to think that the things I’m learning from conversations, conferences, and self-development courses, which I frequent, will be passed along to my clients through me.
When it comes to business, there may be one question you need answered – but especially in agribusiness, there is never only one solution. The trick is finding the right one for you, your business, and your family, as boxes are for chocolates not our lives or businesses!
Sometimes it just takes someone from the outside to come in and help make that decision. It can be confronting, inviting a stranger into your family operation. Everyone has strengths in their business and most have areas which could be improved just like our own lives.
Whilst it is a service with a price, the self-satisfaction I get from helping my clients is immeasurable.
I love what I do. I have no regrets as there is no point instead regather and go again.
For every person I help, they help me as well. The things you learn from people’s personalities, their management styles, and their businesses gives me the opportunity to reflect upon that when helping the next family.
So here’s to 4 years in business and hopefully many more to come.