Gains, failures and feelings

Day 33 (Monday 2nd January 2017)

33% increase in hospital admissions for allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock,
compared to 5 years ago, according to data from NHS Digital released in October 2016.
Doctors and scientists believe that the increase is due to our living in cleaner environments
and hence not having to opportunity to build up natural resistances to substances like dust and pollen.

Today's post is a brave and honest poem by Maya Drøschler that reflects on the highs and lows of her past 12 months. As you will appreciate, once you have read her verse, Maya has experienced some significant heights, as well as some hollows, (in what she has described to me as "successes, failures and feelings") during the time that she has set up her own business. She has clearly learned from everything that has happened.

Maya is Danish and lives in Copenhagen (although her clients come from wider afield). Given the style of her post, it should perhaps come as no surprise that Maya's university degree was in Literature with a minor in Philosophy. She has retained her connections with Academia and now occasionally acts as a guest lecturer in HR and People Management. She writes a good and informative blog - in Danish - HR forretning (which translates as HR Business). She has a background in HR (and has worked in Retail, Engineering and Medical Technical Equipment and Analysis).

Maya now runs her own business and specialises in what she calls "The Point of HR" - that intersection between HR and communications. She is very commercial in approach, believing that a business and its leaders need to bear in mind: • a company's particular industry and its place within that sector, including the broader competitive environment • available research and knowledge • global trends in business creation and professional life. She is a huge fan of technology and believes that, used wisely, it will greatly enhance the workplace. Maya uses technology herself, you can find her on Twitter (her handle is @MayaDroeschler).

As well as being a passionate business woman, Maya is also a passionate parent and cares for mothers and children within society. She supports the charity Mødrehjælpen, which helps pregnant women, and families with children, in vulnerable situations with social, professional, legal and financial advice, as well as offering a variety of programs and interventions for young parents and those who have suffered violence, in particular vulnerable women and children.

All of the pictures used in the post have been provided by Maya herself.

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Gains, failures and feelings  

Leaving my job to become an entrepreneur: gains, failures and feelings   

Heights

The sensation of freedom when I quit my job

A leap into daylight, leaving the mob

I had clients; I had money coming in - 

There was no way I could lose; I was smart and thin

Hollows

I spent all my savings; I spent every dime

When clients stopped calling at the most crucial time

With agony growing, I met my deepest fears

My fear of not succeeding, neglected for years

Hearts

A heart is always broken; all perfection has a scar

My daughter moved away from home, my cat crushed by a car

I buried the cat, I promised the girl

She would feel safe & loved in her bright new world

Heights

The feeling of mastery, the concept of thrill

When I got a new, big client and they paid their bill.

I felt like a champion, I felt like a queen

I was developing into a money machine

Hollows

My flaws began appearing and they were real

Suddenly, I was no rock star; I could not close the deal

The world didn’t need me as much as I needed it

I was overwhelmed by doubt, I was ready to submit

Hearts

Apparently, I attracted scumbags and crooks

And this is a sad fact, but not as bad as it looks

Big-hearted people are not always those you suspected

But they are out there somewhere, and you need to collect them

Heights, hollows and hearts

I quit my job to face fear and challenge

I quit my job to give life a new balance 

No one will pay me just to show up

And no one, but me, will decide when to stop

***

Should you follow your dreams and do something completely different with your life?

The New Year is an ideal opportunity to think about your future. I decided to quit my job during the Christmas holidays last year. I’ve never earned this little, I’ve never learned this much.         

Happy New Year!