Don’t Be An Island

I’m fresh back from my Three Peaks Challenge and delighted to say I conquered them all. It was tough, very physical and lots of moments on ledges, but I nailed it!

But do you know what? The biggest anxiety I had on the way up to Glasgow wasn’t the mountains, but the idea of spending three and a half days with a group of people. Some people I knew, some I didn’t, but that wasn’t the point. It was the peoplingthat I was fearing. Being with others for more than a little while is frankly, a bit overwhelming.

Isn’t that part of the problem of being a small, indie business owner? We become a bit isolated and self-reliant. It’s a tremendous skill to have but I think it can also cause a bit of cabin fever. It certainly does with me. I often worry that I won’t have the energy to give myself to the group all of the time. I need to remember that it is also possible to step back and allow others to step forward.

In the end I found the team aspect of the challenge tremendously uplifting. There was space to be quiet, space to talk, space to make new friends and space to be alone, together.

The day after the challenge ended, I came into London for my twice-yearly business mastermind with a group of other female business owners. We’ve been meeting up now for two years and keep in contact daily via slack to provide each other with support and advice. They are now my colleagues, my community and my friends.

And that is when the penny dropped, no woman is an island. We all need to find and seek a tribe and make connections, in every aspect of life. It’s an amazing feeling to realise that in a supportive group environment you always get out so much more than you put in. The multiplier effect is magical!