An Irresistible Offer
As an extrovert, the thing I find most challenging about running my own business is that feeling that I am doing it all on my own.
The truth is, reality doesn’t quite tie into this as to get my business done, I rely on others who I can delegate to and connect with to develop ideas and my thinking, but what still remains for me is that longing to be working with others on something bigger than I could do alone.
You can imagine my delight when Mindy Gibbons-Klein presented with the irresistible offer of being one of 15 women authors contributing to a book about collaboration. This ticked so many boxes for me. First and foremost, my love of collaborating with others, followed very closely by my stand to support women to step up as leaders in this world. My wish to keep expressing myself though my writing which often gets superseded by other commitments was another motivation, as was my drive to make a positive difference and to do this with others, because when we do it together, we can do more and go further.
I eagerly signed up and from the moment of doing so the whole experience has been a complete joy. I am a great believer in focussing on your strengths and getting into your flow and there was so much that aligned with Fab Collab, that my flow really helped in writing my chapter in what was a tight timescale with lots of other work commitments going on at the same time. For me it illustrated when things are right, there is no struggle because the commitment required emerges easily.
I’ve also loved getting to know my fellow authoresses or “Collabettes”. Some I have known for a long time and others I am still getting to know. We have navigated the process with much good will and the spirit which the book represents and serves. Don’t get me wrong there have been challenges along the way for example we did not hold back in expressing our diverse views over colours and fonts and other elements of how we present our offer to the world. When you get a group of intelligent, strong-minded women leaders together it would be weird for there not be moments of tension. But we navigated these with great elegance, coming together to align on a final copy that I believe we are all proud of.
The learning so far has been profound and I am sure will continue to be so. I am excited to see what continues to unfold as we move towards our launch.