Embarking on a new venture in Lockdown

One thing’s for sure, over the last few weeks the world has changed completely. If I said that when I handed in my resignation at the start of the year, I knew what lay ahead, I’d be a huge liar. Like everyone else, I had no idea what was to come. However, it certainly does mean that the road ahead, while uncertain, is one that is very exciting and hopefully full of opportunity.

Why I Moved on.

The first thing to say is I had a fantastic job at a great firm. I certainly did not leave Dentons Kensington Swan due to any negative factors at the firm. I had great colleagues, and this year’s international combination will only lead to more good things for the good people there. It was a privilege to meet new marketing and BD experts across the globe. I’m also immensely proud of the work I did in helping us transition our brand across smoothly, and all the work my fantastic team provided in delivering this. However, it’s true to say that my passion lay elsewhere.

“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”  

Oscar Wilde

Although I had no ‘next job’ lined up, I knew that I wanted to do something different. I’d been a consultant previously, and I missed that. While I’d overseen a lot of change in my most recent role, I feel most alive when working with people to do things differently. To constantly be looking at the next thing. I also wanted to find a different balance, where I could see more of my two young boys. Ironically, COVID-19 and our home-based bubble has given me that.

“We live in strange times. We also live in strange places, each in a universe of our own. The people with whom we populate our universe are the shadows of whole other universes intersecting with our own.”

Douglas Adams

 What next?

Knowing that you want to do something different, that’s the easy part. It really is easy to embrace the freedom of thinking about doing something different. I was curious about the opportunities of starting my own business, along a model I had considered a while back. Of course, other options existed. We even started to explore the opportunity of giving my children a few years back in the UK and a different perspective of life, and the world. It was always going to be a wrench to leave Auckland and NZ; my wife’s a kiwi and as an NZ Citizen now, I love my new home country. However, we wondered if it might be beneficial to our kids. Then the pandemic hit.

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.”

Mike Tyson

The pandemic, and being in lockdown, certainly does feel like a big punch in the face to most of us! However, for me it brought nothing but clarity. As I held various conversations with people here, it became obvious that I had a passion for BD & marketing and working with multiple organisations. It was obvious I wanted to be a consultant again. People suggested I should start my own business, when I embraced that idea my enthusiasm and energy levels picked up. It was obvious, what needed to be done next.

 Launching a new business in lockdown

It is clear that it is going to be an extremely difficult time economically for everyone, globally. However, I still believe I’m right to follow my passions. The new business could possibly face a tougher than expected first 6 months to a year. However, my focus is on helping people to increase their brand profiles, get better at understanding their clients and pitching for work. I’m already sharing how this can be done in some articles that you can read here. It may well be that as we start to emerge into whatever the new normal is, that people more than ever will need help with their BD & Marketing, which is what my new company The BD Ladder, has been set up to help with.

Like everyone else in the business community, I’m going to have to work both harder, and more importantly, smarter. Our Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden, is 100% right, we need to be kind to each other. That applies in business too. Now’s the time where we need to help each other more than ever. That means going the extra mile to understand each other, assist where we can and give suggestions of who else can help them if we can’t. Finally, we have to make sure if we commit to something, we pay that bill. It’s really important.

So, although it certainly is the strangest of times, it is also the most exciting of times. I know that I’ll learn a great deal in embarking on this new venture. No doubt I’ll also have a great deal of fun too.

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.”

George Bernard Shaw