by Lee McCaffrey | Featured Contributor
And Why It’s the Best Advice I’ve Ever Ignored …
I’m in a café across the table from a well-respected business owner and friend. Someone who’s considered by themselves, and others as an innovator not only in their field, but in the world of business.
I’m wide eyed and fairly inexperienced, and I’ve just finished pitching an idea for a new company
It’s exciting. I’m excited … There’s silence.
Finally he looks up at me and says, ‘It’s a nice idea. But it’ll never work. That’s just not how it’s done’
I’m guttered.
We finish our coffee. Say our goodbyes. And I walk back to my car trying not to cry.
During the drive home I go from guttered to puzzled.
What did he mean that’s not how it’s done? I’ve always believed as Entrepreneurs and Innovators we’re the ones out there forging the path.
How am I meant to change the world, walking an already trodden path …
By the time I reached home I’d made a decision about how I would proceed with my business. It was based solely on these things:
Guts and Gut Feeling
Gut feeling is probably one of the most underrated, underutilized tools in business. If it feels wrong, it probably is. But if it feels right … the sky’s the limit!
And guts is well … guts. You need guts. It takes guts to allow yourself to become completely exposed. To put your ideas on the table in front of someone and risk rejection. And in the event of rejection, to pick yourself up and carry on.
This is where they come together. You have to listen to that gut feeling, and I knew deep down that what I was trying to achieve wasn’t just doable, but if I took a deep breath and leapt, it would be great.
And Then There’s Magic …
When I was a little girl I was taught if you can dream it, you can be it. The unwavering belief that anything is possible.
To me this is magic.
As an adult I still believe in magic. There’s no doubt in my mind, if you can dream it, you can make it a reality.
Back in that moment, faced with rejection, I had some decisions to make.
I could give up. I could change the way I wanted to develop my business, and ultimately my brand, based on how everyone else does it. Or I could listen to my gut and do it my way.
I chose magic.
And guess what? It worked.
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Lee McCaffrey is a Mother, Entrepreneur and Writer. Together with her husband she has co-founded and co-directs several companies as well as owning, running and being an adviser and board member to several other small-medium businesses. Her vast experience extends from small business management to software development to marketing and graphic design.
Lee is an established writer and ghost writer and is a regular contributor to several online publications. In addition she documents her experiences as a Mother and Woman in business on her blog Business Makes Three.
A passionate creative, Lee lives on beautiful Lake Macquarie in Australia with her husband and two children.
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