The beginning

A year ago this month, I stepped away from my corporate career and started the adventure of entrepreneurship. Although this had always been a dream of mine, it wasn’t easy to make the leap. Doubts about my abilities (Am I truly capable? What if I don’t succeed?) and concerns about financial security (Can I really give up a stable income? How will my lifestyle change?) kept holding me back.

But then the other thoughts…
If I don’t do it now, then when?
Is there ever going to be a perfect time?
And wouldn’t this be an incredible chapter to add to my career story?

In the end, I made the move, and I can honestly say there has not been one day of regret.

I need to acknowledge how hard and lonely those first few months were. I missed my old life. I missed being with people every day, I missed my routine of listening to a podcast on the way to work, I missed having all types of conversations with my colleagues and I really missed being needed the same way I used to be. Being around people fills my cup and my cup felt depleted. And then – like all change – taking one step at a time, I moved through the change curve and never looked back!

The goal was always to grow LBC with a people, purpose and performance focus. Early on, I wasn’t sure how I would do it – through acquisition (another dream) or build organically? What I see now is that it will probably be a combination of both. I went through a process (at the time, alone) to build a strategic plan for LBC. I outlined goals, strategies and values, and I would go back to this document often over the last twelve months whenever I felt unsteady.

The learnings

 These are a few highlights from year one.

Partnerships: What lovely relationships to have. I feel fortunate to have a partnership with Destination Leadership that brought incredible leadership and people.

Learning: There is no need to walk the entrepreneurial path alone. Find good partnerships and lean in.

Networks: Every opportunity and project that LBC engaged with this year came from our network. Relationships are important – people don’t only remember what you do, but how you do it. Referrals come when there is trust.

Learning: Be a good human. Build trusting, authentic and genuine relationships – always.

Invest to grow: Don’t try to do everything on your own, invest in others who have more experience. Early on, LBC engaged with Coupland & Company to support our marketing efforts (early brand development, website and so much more). A worthwhile investment!

Learning: Invest in trusted people/organizations that will focus on one area of your business so you can focus on another.

Take (well-thought-out) risks: Admittedly, I have a high risk tolerance, however, I also know the importance of measuring twice and cutting once. To meet LBC’s strategic goals, I had to add to the team. This was not a hire I took lightly. I needed to find that special someone – someone who aligned with LBC’s vision of character and commitment (there was no skimping on this), and brought the competency needed to propel our growth. This first hire was critical as they would set the foundation for every future hire. I knocked this out of the park – shout-out to Amanda Leuschen.

Learning: Know the type of people that will strengthen your team and look hard for those people. Align your head, heart and gut. Leverage your professional and personal network – I’m fortunate to have many people that fall into both these categories.

The future

Knowing the importance of a strong strategic plan, earlier this year we spent an entire day thinking and dreaming and doing all the things we suggest our clients do. We created our goals and defined strategies for how to get there. We reconfirmed our vision, mission and values. We had an honest conversation about our aspirations, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. We defined the type of client we want to work with and the ones we think we will bring the most value to. We then drilled down into the tactics – what needs to be done in a year, in a quarter, and in a month. We defined the services* we would focus on this year and what services we would add the year after (and the year after that).  So. Much. Fun. (And scary, definitely scary.)

*Sneak Peek: We can’t wait to share what we have been working on. We will be adding to our training curriculum in October with the addition of a new leadership learning program. This new program will beautifully complement the EXPEDITION Coaching® program (by Destination Leadership) that we offer today.

Do you know what makes the future most scary and exhilarating? It’s the desire, and actions needed, to keep building. This fall we will add several people to the team. First, we will add a business development manager to help us have even more meaningful conversations with potential clients. Not long after the BDM joins, we will search for a full-time operations person to support all internal workings of LBC. And finally, we will begin to look for our next experienced consultant to join our team – someone with strategy and leadership experience who enjoys building deep and valuable client relationships. To keep us honest, I’m sharing with you that the goal is to have all three of these people on board by January 1.

Another goal for the future – we are going to get some space for LBC.

I know, I know, so many people will say (and have said), “why would you invest in office space when so many people want to work from home?”

It’s true – many people do enjoy working from home. Even as a die-hard “I love the office” kind of person, I have found peace working from home (some days). I have also experienced some moments of feeling incredibly isolated. We are all different and I can’t say for sure that what works for me will work for you. But what I am sure of, is everyone working from home 100% of the time will not solve our global loneliness epidemic; it will not kindle the energy that comes from sharing a space with your colleagues, and it won’t reinforce the magic that happens when you physically bring together an amazing group of humans to build something special.

So, LBC will have space. It will be space where our clients can come and learn with us – whether we are offering training curriculum or facilitating strategy sessions; space where our team can come together (not every day, but some days), and space that promotes a high-growth, psychologically safe, collaborative environment.

If you have read this far and are still with me, thank you (I’m almost done).

I want to thank everyone who has been a support this past year – we are humbled by the people around us.

This first year LBC carried my voice, my strategy, my beliefs. Going forward, I’m excited that LBC will share many more voices whether from our team or external voices that might add a different flavour to our content. Soon we will launch our Instagram page and expand our reach.

I do not doubt that year two will be another growth year filled with successes and a few learnings, and truthfully, I look forward to both. Without the learnings, there is no growth. And without growth, where is the fun?