When I started the “transition” journey way back in 2004, I never expected it to be easy.
The journey has taken me up several blind alleys, through many crossroads and has caused me to completely re-think what my objectives actually are.
I have also learned that I have both skills and weaknesses, passion and dislikes.
The difference is that now, I have the confidence and structure to utilise my skills, indulge my passions, defer to my colleagues where I have weaknesses and not necessarily get involved in anything I dislike. Teamwork is a very understated and powerful thing.
When I first realised that as a “one woman crusade” it would be physically impossible to achieve my goals, I thought it would be easy to find a suitable partner business to join up with.
There was no shortage of potential suitors and I talked with firms far and wide across the UK but was utterly dismayed by what I discovered. I promptly realised that when you “”lift the carpet” these firms that I respected, lacked the skills that I lacked, had similar staffing and administration issues but on a larger scale than I had got and quite frankly, I couldn’t see my business being a strategic fit at all.
I have learned in the past that if you keep doing the same things you get the same results and I was not looking to simply change the wallpaper I was looking for positive change.
Despondent, I gave up and picked up trying to “reinvent the wheel” once more by myself not knowing how long I could keep looking for the eighth day in every week!
It was a chance discussion with Nick Bamford that changed the course of things for me and my clients.
Nick and the team at Informed Choice had been living the “new model” for quite some years and had the structure and processes, the team and the knowledge that I had been looking for and could not previously find.
Importantly it was immediately apparent we shared the same ethics and professionalism and had genuine passion about this business.
With all the boxes ticked, when it came down to it, I found it was not a difficult decision to want to become part of that team and so some six months ago the “new dawn” began.
My clients have welcomed the change in a positive way as they see that this marriage brings enhanced services to them. I now have more “client” time available as my team colleagues do their administration tasks much more efficiently than I did freeing up time for me to do what I am best at.
I am learning a few new tricks from my colleagues too like using social networking, blogging and embracing the Internet.
I am privileged to work alongside some of the best people in this profession and my passion for delivering the best I can for my clients is now completely satisfied. I am looking forward to the challenges facing our profession in the next few years as my glass is definitely now only “half full”.
