To my new AIP Community
The last two weeks I had to do what’s very un natural to me and switch off. I was so aware I had so many emails to follow up on following the Conference but my out of office was on and for my own well-being I needed to switch off.
Where to start…..
AIP has been a dream for so long and it took everything emotionally, physically, mentally and financially for me to pull together.
Imagine one of those hanging ropes in the gym. I just had to grip tight, squeeze my core and fight my way to the top. Truly that’s how it felt. Every fibre and muscle in my body needed to lock in and get me there. I kept thinking of that saying “though she be but little, she is fierce.”
Sometimes after fighting every obstacle and challenge when we get there there’s an anti climax or a thank god that’s over moment. But now more than ever I know AIP is NEEDED and wanted. I’ve proved the concept.
So again I am having to fight my normal instinct to go hell for leather with all the millions of ideas I’ve got and do one thing well. While I was away I listened to Jill Scott on the High Performance Podcast and she said her biggest lesson, doing one thing well.
So I thought… let me wrap up this event WELL! Instead of rushing to the next project or spin off.
However with time off it’s meant I haven’t been able to get back to people as quickly, get the photos out as quickly, respond to speaker requests as quickly, be as active as I want to on our community group but that’s okay! Because I’m being kind to myself. I need to practice what I preach!
You’ll know if you were there that I had a glitch with my speech (cringe!). So I thought I’d tell you what’s that taught me!
I’ve set up a new business alongside running a 5 million pound and 1 million pound business with a depleted senior team (that’s a whole other story on my view on recruitment!). So I carried the whole event on my shoulders until very late on. I totally underestimated being the host, guest speaker, event producer, sales director, content curator and more!
The one thing I’d said I wanted to allowed myself was time to rehearse but I didn’t because I prioritised the event management over my speech. So when my digital notes failed, my mind went blank!
Yes I managed to recover it and the audience was so kind but I learnt a few things….
1. As Roxie said it was a test from the universe. Am I gritty enough to move through the embarrassment and do it all again? Hell yes!
2. I need to give time to perfecting that speech so it rolls off the tongue. It’s my story and I know it.
3. I shouted at the team on site! And I felt terrible about this after. Of course I apologised but I was unsettled during all my time off. However Roxie and another speaker pointed out to me a man wouldn’t have that guilt! Something to ponder…..
Sorry I knew this would be a long one!
What great things has this uncovered for me?
I’ve always been an inbetweener and I’ve pitched for business my whole life. Which especially latterly causes my cortisol to peak every time. Every time we pitch it’s financial investment, stress, long hours and it can be soul destroying. As an agency you are always chasing and so many things keep me up at night such as pitches, account management and that the team are okay and honestly I’m exhausted!
Since setting up AIP we don’t pitch that much. I decided it was sapping our energy. We have a decade of global experience, transparent with our rate cards and I want to be strategic and careful on where we dispense our people’s precious time.
AIP is different! People want to speak to me, they treat me differently and it feels like I have a whole new respect. And I love it! Is that ego talking? Maybe? But it’s nice to feel wanted and not always chasing the sun.
The feeling that’s it’s helping people, changing lives and inspiring people is worth every pound I’ve ever made.
The biggest one for me lately was a girl that heard the OCD episode. She had suffered terribly for about 20 years. She reached out to me only last week to tell me she contacted my Psychologist (Costas) and just completed the 12 week programme I did. She said it’s changed her life and she’d have never known about it if it wasn’t for AIP. My work here is done!
No not really…. but I can’t tell you how that made me feel.
If you did hear my talk you’ll know I only suffered with OCD for 5 years, she’s had two decades of it and now she has her life back, she didn’t lose it.
So guys, sorry I’m a bit slow and a bit quiet but believe me when I say it’s my mission to grow this community, brand, business we call AIP! I won’t let you down.
But bear with me, like you, I’m learning as I go. Holly x
