Part 6 – Business, why do we punish ourselves with such heartbreak?  

Businesses – I have been told your first business is like your first-born child… you obsess with every small scratch, graze, bruise, nurture it and wrap it in cotton wool to protect it. Once you get to the second business, you throw it around and offer them a band-aid and she’ll be right attitude!

I have two children, my first, Luke (who is now 18) again showing my age. I have photo albums after photo albums of baby photos of every moment of his first 13 months… then his sister Kate arrived! Well having two under two I didn’t have time to goo and gaa over them both with a camera all the time (and to you millennials, iphones and androids with cameras weren’t around back then). I had my hands full as it was – but the two were in trouble together – the time they found the flour in the cupboard and Luke thought it would be funny to tip it over Kate’s head, the time they thought wouldn’t it be great to tip the lime cordial in the VCR (once again millennials you just would not understand) or the time that Kate’s bike would not fit between the fence and the car in the driveway but we will keep going and scratch mum’s brand new i30 as I need to ride my trike on the street! Urgh… (do you see the pattern with my wine drinking??)

So, now comes my introduction to Sonja Kay – my (and could be your) Personal Confidante. Sonja and I joined District32 at the same time. I was intrigued by Sonja’s work and decided to find out more. Now without going into specific details – as there is a patient/client privilege and confidentiality behind what she does – so I can’t divulge too much. But after my 3 days of ‘nobody likes me, everybody hates me I’m going to eat some worms’ time – once again you millennials can skip this bit of WTF is she talking about bit – I actually ended up with an appointment to catch up with Sonja that following Monday. I took my battered and beat-up body to her office and discussed how I was feeling. Two hours later I walked out of there, went home to my office and was back into the world of Antz.

Now, on my return, in my emails, was a zoom meeting request, and I might be throwing a cat amongst the pigeons by writing about this – but at the end of the day this is my blog, my feelings, my experiences and this was a significant experience that shaped who and where I am today, so I feel it is relevant. A business coach who was on my table of ‘marketing solutions’ witnessed the beating that I took and wanted to reach out to me as this person could help me overcome my confidence issues and assist in the business development of Antz. I decided to partake in this zoom meeting – 1 week after my non-fatal stabbing – to hear what they had to say… ONE FUCKING WEEK!! For a business coach to try and empathise with this traumatic experience of mine, they did not pull me aside that day…. the next day…. but one week later! I was very diplomatic in our zoom meeting and declined their services, and funnily enough there has been no reach out since as a courtesy to see how I have been travelling… so I find their efforts to be one of the vultures chasing the weak as mentioned in my last chapter. This is one example why I have distorted thoughts about business coaches. But please – if you feel you need a business coach, spend time with them, get to know their background, let them earn your trust and get them to learn about your business, visions and goals before you hire one, so then you will know they are working for you and not the other way around.

But like I said, Sonja helped me stitch up the big girl panties and they are back on to see another day! So, it’s time to start the trust process again and I heard some good things on the street about Wayne Curtis and his logo/brand designs. I had some great conversations with Wayne and he is an interesting guy to talk to with some great ideas and knowledge that I decided to hand over a monetary investment to design an Antz logo (that didn’t look too pest controlly – his words not mine as I didn’t even think about this as I had a one tracked focused mind) and when I opened my first email of ideas it took me days, and printed them out again for 3 days straight, to see if I was consistent in liking the same logo in the array of choices. His brain is a Stephen Hawkings of the marketing world!

Before I sign off I would like to add that any person/business that I name I do this, not because they are paying me any money to reach out to the 3 people that are reading this… but because I not only appreciate the work that they do but I am grateful that they have helped Antz whether it is a visual aid or a behind the scenes scenario – every single person rates a mention in my world as I can’t do this by myself and I like to hand out praise to the people that I am so thankful too.

Stay tuned as there are so many more people I need to mention as I have a lot more to tell as this is only the first couple of months…. Pour yourselves another wine and wait for part 7!