I’ve been having a few conversations about “success” lately. There has been a lot of business owners telling me what they think they “should be” doing to grow their business. But is growth a given? I actually think depth is the real goal and wanted to share some reflections as I come up on my first 5 years in business.
Yep, it’s been a whirlwind 5 years. We’ve been fortunate to have so many opportunities come our way during that time and are incredibly proud of how the business has developed. We’ve focused on depth over and over again – building systems that support us to do our best work for our clients. And when over 80% of our work is for returning clients, and almost all of the rest is people referred to us by people who have worked with us before, we know that we’ve done it.
In our work, we are honoured to advise people in some of their trickiest periods of business ownership. We’re talking major contract disputes, redundancies and potential insolvencies. The stuff that keeps business owners and managers up at night. It gives an extraordinary peek into the price of success and that the journey can be a lot tougher than it looks from the outside. Helping business owners find options and clarity during these periods is an absolute pleasure.
So what have I learned through all of this? Success means different things to different people. And success can mean different things to the same person at different times. In my period of life, success to me is doing a great job for my clients so they keep coming back, and being able to take a random Tuesday to go on an adventure with the kids just because it happens to be sunny.
So the lessons that have allowed me to define success for myself? Here goes!
1. It’s ok to say no to a ‘good’ opportunity.
I used to feel guilty saying no to things that were good on paper but I didn’t have time to fit in. If you have to compromise something else in your life that is more important to you, that good opportunity is not good for you, or not for right now… Assess all opportunities critically against your personal values and goals even if that opportunity is dressed up as success.
2. It’s ok to outgrow the goals you used to chase so hard.
Business growth is not a given. You don’t have to be taking over the world to be doing something pretty special and using your skills to make a difference. Check those goals. If they need to change, you’re not failing, you’re evolving. Sometimes reaching those goals doesn’t feel like you thought it would, or other things in your life became more important. Honouring that growth is your success.
3. It’s ok to swim against the crowd.
Just because everyone else looks like they’re showing up, delivering, achieving, it doesn’t mean they’re happy or life is in balance. We compare ourselves against caricatures of others, we never truly know what is going on. Success is chasing whatever happiness and balance looks like to you in this season in your life.
4. You’re not proving anything by staying in the wrong place.
I see people chasing business and career goals because it aligns with some illusory plan that doesn’t actually mean anything. Don’t get stuck because of the perception of your title, salary or recognition when the reality is draining you, causing anxiety or burnout or just doesn’t feel right. Be brave and make a change that prioritises your happiness.
It’s pretty bold to choose the path less travelled. Success is whatever you say it is. Don’t get caught up in anything else that distracts you from what your innermost voice tells you in the quiet moments.
I’ve never been a better lawyer than I am now and I am proud of every time I’ve said no to something that looked like “success” as that has got me to where I am today. Leading a business and a family who are both thriving.
