Taking the leap- from Corporate to being my own boss

Starting a business from scratch is a big move. It means putting it all on the line, your savings, your career and your pride. For me the drive to start my own business was sudden, I needed a change and I needed it now. But let’s start this story at the beginning.

I am a local girl, born and raised in Warrawong, a small suburb in the ideallic Illawarra. Warrawong is a neighbouring suburb to Port Kembla, the home of the steelworks which was booming industry for the entire Illawarra area at the time. When I was a child my Dad owned his own coal truck. He worked long and hard to create a great life for our family. He made mistakes in running his business, and life was by no means easy for us, but his lessons taught me a lot.

Fast forward to me finishing school and I decided I “HAD” to go to university. It was time for me to get a degree, and empower myself to create a great life for myself. I dreamt of a high powered, fast paced career in the City (Sydney) and having plenty of money to explore the world and have all the “things” my heart desired.

I got myself a cadetship in Accounting and I worked hard. I learnt all I could, from books, colleagues and every experience that was thrown my way. I had this!

When I finished university I continued working full time and studied for my CPA qualification. It was a lot of work but if I was going to have my high powered career in the City, this was what I had to do. I studied and worked and absorbed every piece of knowledge and expertise I possibly could. I found mentors and worked with them to build my skills, experience and confidence.

Before long I had the job of my dreams. I was Manager of a finance team in a publicly listed company. I had the most amazing team anyone could ever wish for, with an awesome boss and mentor, and opportunities for career growth long into the future. I didn’t even mind the four hour a day commute. I was driven. I was a career woman, I was living my dream!

And then I decided to have my first child….my husband and I were over the moon. We had built our dream home, we were in love and now we had a child on the way. But in my mind, everything changed. My priorities got flipped on their head. I no longer thought the same things mattered. I wanted to be the best Mum I could possibly be, and while my career was still very important to me, the flashy job in the City wasn’t part of my ideal world anymore.

So I took a leap and started Distinct Business Solutions in 2016. When I sat back and reflected on my new views on life and my new priorities I realised I wanted work life balance, I wanted to make a difference in other families. I wanted to help the people who were doing their bookkeeping at 10pm at night. I wanted to help the family who were struggling with cash flow and business planning. I wanted to be the support that my Dad didn’t have when I was a child. I wanted to do it all, but I wanted to be a GREAT mum.

I remember sitting down in my home office one day and starting my business plan. I did a budget and I put my dream onto paper. At the end of the day I went to my husband and said “I really think I can do this”. And I did.

I researched and came up with a strong business plan. I looked at the other accounting firms in my area and around Australia. I worked out how I was different. I budgeted and created an income and expenditure plan so I knew exactly what I was getting into.

My plan included my priorities as well as my goals both business and personal!!! I made my intention to have work life balance clear in every decision I made. Then I worked and worked, tweaked the plan, and reviewed my progress. I spent time networking, learning, and genuinely getting to know my customers and caring for their needs. I spent time with my daughter and I was home 6 nights a week to read to her before bed.

My passion for my career was back again, but instead of being a corporate professional, I now get to help people build their own amazing businesses and achieve their work life balance. I get to give people their time back; to spend with their kids, to make memories, and not just money.

My joy in my work comes from seeing my clients succeed, seeing them reach their goals, but more importantly, seeing them have the best life possible. Seeing people’s confidence and relief at the end of a meeting is the ultimate pay off.

Building a business is really hard, but if you are doing it for the right reasons, it’s so worth it!

Need a hand starting you business from scratch? We can help with everything from budgeting, planning and business coaching.

Give us a call for an obligation free coffee to chat through your idea or challenge

0411 876 912

Any advice in this blog is general in nature and is intended for information purposes only. For personalised advice please contact your accountant.