Last week I was fortunate enough to have a lovely chat to a fellow female entrepreneur in the high end fashion arena. I asked her how she found the journey and if she had any words of wisdom or anything she’d tell her younger self. She said it was harder than she ever thought imaginable and the low moments were lower than any lows she’d previously experienced. I asked her it was all worth it though right? She went on to say the highs were higher than she imagined and she has experienced pride that she didn’t think was possible. To me, that was a resounding yes.

She has been in business for six years now and has got a stand-alone store just off the world class Sloane Street. It made me realise that this was six years of hard work and graft and only now is she where she truly wants to be. The typical iceberg picture with what you see on top and what I see  below the surface came to mind immediately. It hit me hard that being an “overnight success” never happens overnight. I am typically an impatient person and always striving to be in a better place, professionally and personally. I know I’ve spoken about this before and a lot of this characteristic encourages action to be taken, which in turn produces results. However, I felt in that moment, that a year from now I might not be the high flying CEO I dream of. Maybe not in three years time either. It might take me six, seven years to have my own stand-alone store. But that wouldn’t make it any less of an achievement.

With this new mindset, I began thinking about my anxiety always striving for perfection and immediate results. I realised I can’t be in a state of permanent anxiety for years until I finally reach my ‘goal’. Life is about the journey we take, not so much the destination. I want my career and entrepreneurial journey to be the best thing I ever did and above all I want to have fun. Just writing that sentence takes a pressure off my own shoulders that I placed there. We all know it’s not going to be easy and it’s going to be fraught with challenges and setbacks, but if you can’t find the humour and smile at the end of the day, is it even worth it?

I’m embarking on a journey I hear many people say “I wish I could do that”. I should be lucky I have the opportunity to do it and I’m going to have a lot of fun on the way!

I’ll see you all at the top and we’ll raise a glass together, laughing at the ride we’ve been on.

Until next time,

Emily x