Less than an hour before I was due to do my Innovate final pitch, I was in the doctor’s surgery with my third child with a soaring temperature. Things don’t always go to plan in life or in business, but I believe success is all about overcoming obstacles and remaining focused.
I’m aware that more women are becoming entrepreneurs these days, but I’m also aware that a large number give up because of family commitments. When I talk about Epic Writer being my identity, that’s because it is; it has to be part of my family lifestyle, otherwise it wouldn’t work for me.
As I sit in the passenger seat of my car, I log writing prompts that I will use in my site, which my children recite in the car with my husband.
As I push my toddler’s pram, I’m reciting my pitch to potential investors.
As I wait for my kids at school pickup, I’m doing admin, banking, writing blogs, scheduling social media post – the list goes on…
These day-to-day experiences exemplify how Epic Writer was created. My office is my life and that makes it a lot easier to justify the sacrifices I make every day.
Every minute of my day is scheduled. I even plan for that spare three minutes that I may be waiting in a queue, for a phone call, or at traffic lights. My lists seem to get longer and longer each day. Sometimes I take a step back and wonder if it’s mathematically possible to fit it all in. But some how, I always do.
So much to learn, so much to do, so little time. And ultimately time, including my time, costs money.
Despite the chaos, I’m enjoying being an entrepreneur. It’s exciting and different in my new world; full of opportunity, new ventures and interesting people every day. Building my innovation gives me so much self-confidence and also an attitude that anything is possible. Results like that are priceless. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to explore and pursue my passion and I can’t understand why others don’t if they can. The benefits of taking the leap are much more than just money.
I sometimes get overwhelmed with business plans, projections, milestones and suchlike, so I think it’s essential to take five minutes out of my day and just reflect, alone, on what I am doing and why. These are probably the most powerful five minutes of my day, where I determine and justify the decisions I make and consolidate my vision – never losing focus.
Epic Writer is making huge strides and is due to go back out to schools for more trials in the next week. I now have Dr Brian Finch from Massey University as my literacy adviser; Mark Easton from Nodero as software adviser; and Sharon Bryant from Movac as governance adviser. After a long, drawn-out board set-up process, I am now starting to see the overwhelming benefits of having such knowledgeable and specialist board members. I don’t think I have ever been more excited – and yes, that’s ahead of winning Innovate – watch this space!
By: Tina Faulkner
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