How a few simple words have changed my business and my life!

Today I thought I'd share five massively life changing things people have said to me since I started my RealChai business.

• 1 from an old boss.
• 2 from my partner.
• 1 from an ex employee.
• 1 from a famous role model.

Two weren’t even meant helpful.  But they were!

Here goes:

Old Boss: “You really don’t fit in here” said in stern voice with disapproval.

Me (on the inside): “Yes! You’re right. Thank God.”

And off I went backpacking where I discovered Chai for the first time and eventually got to quit my job and started my own company.  Nice one disapproving boss.

Partner (after years of me procrastinating about starting chai business): “Why don’t you just start small and see what happens”

And so I did.  Simple as that. Overwhelm removed. Action possible. I hired a trestle table and a space at a local market and tested the waters.

I’d been thinking I needed a factory or a café right from the get go. That seemed so huge and daunting that I found myself doing nothing.

Allowing myself to start small enabled me to create momentum. Eventually 5 years later I did get that factory afterall.

Another gem from my partner: Look for the “yeses!”  (If one opportunity is blocked look for the one that is flowing)

An early knock back on my journey, lead to the creation of a product that is now the heart & soul of my whole RealChai business. I applied for a market where I was not allowed to serve hot chai. Hot chai was all I had to serve so, on the face of it, this was definitely a problem!

Instead we developed a loose leaf packaged version of our chai for people to buy.  I went along to the interview. The market said yes. At first I was really put out as it wasn’t what I wanted to do but on my partner’s advice “Look for the yeses” I ran with it. It was an instant hit and the rest is history.

Ex Employee: “You’ll never find anyone as gushing as you are to replace me!” 

I’d hired poorly and attracted someone who was not a good fit for our RealChai brand.  I explained this to them and they said it would be impossible to find someone as gushing as me. I was taken aback because. A) I didn’t know I was ‘gushing’ or what that really even meant and B) I didn’t realise that I was actually looking for someone just like me. Turns out that’s exactly what I wanted. A team of warm, enthusiastic, upbeat, positive people. Now thanks to that comment (meant as a barb) I have my beautiful “gushing” team who fit perfectly with the brand.

Famous Role Model (think BRW’s Young Rich List) “Business is a marathon, not sprint”  When I heard these words direct from her mouth it was like a revolution inside my head. She wanted to impress on me there is really no such thing as over night success stories, you just keep doing what you do to the best of your abilities and prove your value.  This has been super helpful for me when I am not getting instant results. I now take a longer view and see I am laying the foundations. I’m more patient and less at the mercy of the moment because I have the big picture in mind.

Sometimes people say things with wisdom and consideration. Other times they are just passing comments but the effects can be life changing.  What are some comments that have changed your life when you look back over the years??