Greetings! It's been one year now that I quit my beloved job to create myself a new one, equally beloved but in a different way. Here's a quick look back on a crazy year and what I've learned since "the big jump".
Everything is possible
I will always remember that feeling of a fresh start on the very first day I worked 100% for Baltic Club. Everything was as clear as it was frightening, but the saying goes, "magic happens out of your comfort zone". I was really excited by all this. Far far away from imagining what was going to happen, I decided to let go and to enjoy every moment. What's helping a lot is Melanie, being so extraordinary and so relax. I think we have way too much fun.
Really new for me at this moment were all the blank pages, empty folders in front of me, as well as the new freedom coming with no procedure, no methodology, no "business culture". If you do nothing, nothing moves forward. It may sound a little bit weird but I didn't think this concept could apply to the business at all. Actually, it applies very well indeed :)
Plans change a lot, almost every day. The difficulty here is definitely to stay focused. Saying yes to every opportunity is not a viable solution: you can try and take risks, but they always have to be calculated.
Having the opportunity to make new products anytime, talk to new people every day, discover new places ALL THE TIME is overwhelming.
You have no limit in terms of work, of time spent to make your things, of places to work from... you taste freedom on a daily basis and it's magical but it also leads me to my next point.
Health
Even if I love what I do, sometimes I go too far and tend to forget that to think properly, I need a healthy body. I didn't realize how important it was to find a balance, so I took this opportunity to work on personal skills like consistency and self-control. Now I run a lot, eat more healthily, and try and sleep well in order to charge up my batteries more efficiently.
Nobody's waiting for you, nobody cares
"Ok, you've quit your job, so what?" No big deal for a lot of people, especially those who never knew what's it's like to be an employee. As soon as I was on my own, I knew that no one was waiting for me and that no one cared. Building something, including my own identity as a business owner is quite a challenge but it gives me the opportunity to have my own voice, expressing what I genuinely think is best at the moment. I frequently ask myself: "What would this person do?" and I love it.
An opportunity to know me a little bit more
I've also learned that I didn't just win a dream job but instead, the chance to enjoy multiple aspects of the entrepreneur life: accountant, designer, I can answer emails, packing stuff, delivering products and cleaning the floor of the workshop in the same morning. My mission and my dreams are very different today compared to what they were one year ago. For instance, I wanted Baltic Club to grow in terms of employees but finally, Melanie and I feel more happy and comfortable in small teams. I also thought that taxes reports were piece of cake...
Today, I'm more eager to focus on what really matters. It takes strength and courage on a daily basis and I definitely feel stronger, less crazy, wiser, I say "no" more often, I get rid of what's not lifting me up and as Frederic, one of my mentors, said to me one day: "Elevate yourself!"
