21 years ago, I handed my resignation
into my boss and took a leap into the unknown.
I’d loved the work I was doing, it was exhilarating and intense but I
couldn’t keep on working for a boss who was driving me nuts. I was burnt out, confused and pretty angry. Not one to hang about I got straight on it
and began the usual process of looking for jobs in the papers, filling in the
application forms and turning up for interviews. Bizarrely, (I thought), despite my best efforts,
nothing was coming off. Looking back, I
think the low point was failing to get an interview for a £12K/annum job to be
a traffic crossing supervisor coordinator (basically rostering lollipop ladies). I was
smart, I was talented, I had a good degree – I also had a young family and I
needed to make something happen. I
started my first business.
Necessity was (and still is) the mother
of invention and out of the ashes of my previous education and experiences,
fuelled by a passion to succeed, I was able to grow a new business. My nascent executive coaching business was
little more than an idea and some headed paper but it was enough to launch me
into a new world and through begging, blagging, taking some big risks and working
really hard I managed to establish a suitably successful business. Over the next 7 years (and a couple of
rebrands) I developed a viable management consulting company that taught me lots
about life, took me across the world and paid the bills (most of the
time). Unfortunately most of the time
was decidedly problematic for me as I now had a bigger family and a sizable
mortgage. Necessity (in the form of an erratic cash
flow) kicked my arse again and I folded my business up to join the dark side.
In 2000 I joined Accenture with the sole
intention of easing my cash flow and getting a couple of years experience with
a “proper” management consultancy under my belt. Having been my own boss for 7 years I was
dreading it. How wrong I was. It was a delight, someone else did the
billing, the cash collection, the marketing, the HR processes etc. All I had to do was the selling and delivery
work I loved. I made Partner, made
great friends and built a bigger business network. After six happy years at Accenture I was
approached by Capgemini to join them. I
eventually succumbed to their charms and launched into five more happy years at
Capgemini.
However, by the start of 2012 I was
beginning to feel unsettled at Capgemini and was beginning to think through my career
aspirations. By the middle of 2013 I had
determined I needed to leave and do something new and thus began the search for
the next career step. Not in any hurry I
put out some feelers, but didn’t push it.
Like the slowly boiling frog I just couldn’t get my bum in gear. Then at the beginning of 2014 Capgemini
engaged in a restructuring process and made me an offer I literally couldn’t
refuse. A month later and I’d left with
a sense of relief and excitement. Interestingly,
rather than rely solely on the talents of recruitment companies to determine my
next career step, I find myself starting my own business again. I’m very excited.
I’m 21 years older, a lot less naive, less
angry and considerably more financially stable.
I also have bags of experience and a huge business network. Ironically it has taken necessity to get me
to this position again. My new company
addonova is my second services company start up, providing consultancy services
on Digital Innovation and Transformation.
We already have our first contract and I have found that I still have
more than enough drive and energy to ensure that I can make the business
work. I do like to prove a point. So, once again I’m living the innovative
entrepreneur’s dream and I will let you know how it goes.
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