MY JOURNEY INTO CONSULTANCY
“It’s never too late.”
I did not have the benefit of the world of academia early in life. I chose this path later when I had an insatiable thirst for knowledge in the legal, accounting and business areas. From a very young age, I knew what I wanted. I inherently knew that my purpose in life was to be in business.
I studied on a part-time basis whilst being a divorced mother of three children and being in full-time employment. I juggled motherhood, work and studying and on occasion, had to take a child with me to class in the evenings. I like to believe that it was a great lesson for my children – a lesson that despite times being tough, always aim for the stars. I taught them that being ordinary in today’s world does not suffice. People are not interested in mundane and ordinary. We need to be unique and specialise in our passion to make a difference in our lives, other people’s lives and the world.
I qualified in Accounting Science and MBA. Whilst doing my MBA, I had a senior role in a company with a diversified national business model of ten branches. Attending class did not detract from my duties. GIBS have awesome Professors who understood my situation and allowed me the flexibility to work whilst in class. I had two phones under my table for this purpose. Business trips were scheduled around classes. My passion for knowledge and the feeling of euphoria that I had when I sat in class with the sharpest and creative minds in the country, was a great privilege.
In between all of this, I never neglected my passion and hobby of Law. My thesis was founded upon the Companies Act which paved the way for me to combine content around law with commerce. I continue to self-study Legislation and other areas of Law. I have a profound knowledge of law which has resulted in me heading up many legal departments in the corporate world. I love interacting with Advocates, trial preparation and strategy. I remember taking a business trip with my CEO to Bloemfontein and on the way there, I insisted on reading the amendments on the Company’s Act to him. He said that it was the worst trip of his life.
Being an introvert by nature, this choice of destiny did not inhibit other social choices. I did not view it as a sacrifice, but as an absolute joy. For me, knowledge is power, and power is knowledge – nobody can strip you of it. I continue to self-develop and am tough with myself in setting daily and monthly goals. Fortunately, I am an avid reader who appreciates many forms of literature, especially The Classics.
I founded my consulting business for numerous reasons. Firstly, and with the success that I obtained in the corporate world, I saw the need for such a service in other companies. When things are organised and settled, I tend to get bored and need stimulation. So, the consultancy profile was aligned to my personality.
Secondly, I do not enjoy the world of corporate politics – if I was going from company to company, then I would not have to suffer this fate.
Thirdly, I enjoy the flexibility afforded to me.
And the last reason, and if I must be honest, was based on personal wealth generation – you see I figured that it was now my time to be present in my future financially, instead of making others successful. I figured that it was time for me to share in financial wins.
The consulting that I do can be emotionally draining in that my clients are usually going through major stress (bordering on uncontrollable panic) regarding results and cash flow. Often, the company has had exponential growth which their cash flow cannot sustain. The clients, rightfully so, are stressed, bordering on panic. They become so overwhelmed that decision-making is not possible at the time. All too often, and had clients had the vision to foresee that they were heading into this direction and had they called me earlier, the situation would have been less stressful. When things get tough, the owners spend more time in the business and not on the business. This emotional drain that I experience and the fact that I dictate my own time, affords me the latitude to design my diary around assignments, allowing a short period of reset.
Whether we accept it, or accept it or not, the fact is that at some point in time/s, all businesses need to restructure and take a fresh approach. We should not be embarrassed to ask for help. Sometimes matters are out of control of the owner – external factors can damage a business over night. Bad things happen to good people, and this is not indicative of somebody’s ability. Strength lies in admitting that help is needed. The secret is to be prepared for as many eventualities you could and should, foresee.
I have mentored ‘lost’ or disillusioned people who have a passion but are scared to take the next step into turning a dream into reality. I pray that my story has a positive impact on many people.
I have had a rewarding, memory filled journey with many blessings, and I can honestly say that I have learned so much from all my experiences.
Thank you for reading this blog. Stay tuned for more insightful discussions on boosting your business’s success. Join us next week, and let’s keep growing together!
Leave a Reply