Mindset Mangement for Business Owners

Let’s not kid ourselves, being a business owner and leader is tough. Sure, there are lots of amazing aspects and positives of being your own boss but it would be remiss of me to not be honest and admit that it’s also equally hard. The hours are long (so the brain and body are tired), the hustle is real (some days I feel like I am on an online dating app) and the imposter syndrome will creep in when you least expect it. The trick is managing it.

I have been in business twice (one successful side hustle and today, owner and Managing Director of Sparrowly Group) and I was raised working in the family agribusiness. My Mum and Dad worked together so their business was also a big part of their personal life so it was a regular conversation topic at the dinner table. And in agribusiness, depending on the market and of course the weather - there can be massive ups and massive downs. We all helped on the farm in different ways - some of us kids driving tractors and helping with the planting, the picking or in the shed sorting and packing the crops, quality controlling and preparing the documentation for logistics down to the markets - so we were exposed to a lot.

When I was 13, I became a single child for my high school years as my big brother and two sisters had by then, all moved out to either study or start their careers, so I also became the payroll officer and each Friday night, I would work with my parents processing the wages, preparing the paperwork for closing out each quarter and ensuring all the administrative financials were in tip top shape. 

My parents worked so hard and I saw how tired they were, some days I reckon they probably wanted to just throw the towel in and finally have that sleep in. Fast forward to 2022, Sparrowly Group is about to enter its eighth year of operation and whilst I look back with such pride and satisfaction, I equally feel at times tired and think about what if…BUT.

I work through this because the positives outweigh the negatives and have specifically developed a mindset technique that works for me and can help other business owners and leaders. I call it the SHH technique.

S = Space - I absolutely love to swim and.. well, I also love to talk, but sometimes, I too am talked out. I need calm. Many people have suggested I do yoga or meditate or that I just check out and go on a retreat to find my inner calm. That’s not for me, and whilst a retreat is lovely, it should be a treat to enhance your everyday life, not fix it - that’s just a band-aid solution. So I swim, it’s MY SPACE. Space to breathe, calm the mind. Swimming is my thing. I go on my own, and for 35 mins I just follow the black line - up and down. Boring to some I know, but so good for me…plus it helps my whole body loosen up, unwind and helps takes away any aches and pains. And I know when my body is sore, it’s hard for me to think straight and clearly. Healthy body…healthy mind.

Think about what your space can be - it might be tinkering with your car, walking, maybe yoga or meditation is your thing, perhaps it's being creative with your hands - painting, ceramics. Another way of looking at this is having a hobby - something that is just for you and unrelated to your business. And when friends or family want to join you because it sounds fun but you don’t want to share your space - I am giving you permission to say you no and kindly explain to them that this is your time out.

As a business owner and leader you are there showing up for everyone else all day - so be sure to give yourself some space for YOU. 

H = Honesty - some like to call it vulnerability. My father used to say (as a joke of course but there is always some truth in a joke and I am Sicilian-Australian by the way) fear not the godfather but the godmother - her name is Giovanna and she will tell you the truth every time. Perhaps it’s gotten me into trouble over the years a little, but I've learned that when delivered with the best intentions, sensitively and at the right time, you can walk away from a conversation knowing that you have done so with integrity. And integrity for my business is a core value of ours as much as it is mine.

This is about showing up every day, honestly. If a piece of work comes your way or a potential customer approaches you and it doesn’t fit with your values or it doesn’t feel right, be honest with yourself - and walk away. I can guarantee you it will just cause more stress for you and your team if you do it just for the money. 

At this point you might be asking yourself, “What hippie course did she learn that from”, I guarantee you, nowhere but within. I want to go to bed at night knowing I haven’t compromised my values and honesty and integrity are so important. And because of this, I can guarantee you that the money will come, because people want to support and work with honest business owners.

This also means that you need to be prepared and create an environment where people will be honest with you. It’s not always pretty and sometimes you are going to hear things that you don’t like.  Believe it not, it happens to me too - getting feedback is not the end of the world - it’s about learning and part of helping you become better aware of yourself and aware of others. And in doing so, it’s important to not react. Listen and reflect. Then, you can decide with a clear head (because you’ve given yourself space) to decide what your next steps will be.

H = HELP - The final H in my SHH technique is help and being ok with asking for it. In our mentoring work we see it a lot. Business owners and leaders feel (particularly at the beginning of the mentoring relationship) that they have to impress us and it’s hard for them to ask for help, to be honest that they don’t know what to do. Likewise when working on strategic projects or facilitating team planning days, I can see it within the teams. Asking for help still has a taboo around it as showing weakness - THIS IS RUBBISH!

Asking for help is one of the hardest things to do as a business owner and leader. For me, people are looking to me for answers all day long - and sometimes, I just don’t have them (yes this is true).  However, what I have learnt and practiced is when I am stuck, I’m honest about it, and I take a step back to think about what help I need and who I need it from. Waiting until you are overwhelmed will mean you will make poor decisions and perhaps ask, pay or hire the wrong people for help. 

Having a support network such as a mentor, accountant and solicitor are not negotiables for me. And with that designing and recruiting a team and empowering them to be the best they can be is an important part of this. I have an amazing team - and, there is a culture of contributing and collaboration (no it’s not a buzzword in our business). We are all contributing to the business and keen to harness our collective skills and knowledge, but also know that we aren’t expected to know everything. 

Create a culture that it’s ok to put your hand up and ask for help  - and that starts with you.

Outside of the formal business support network is keeping an informal support network for you - and this is where peer to peer mentoring is so incredibly important. A safe place for you to talk about not the work but you personally. I know now that I have found my couple of people, it is so liberating. 

In fact I have one of those sessions this Friday with my new peer mentor and I can’t wait - over lunch and a wine of course - because it’s important above all, to have fun and enjoy the ride!