The parallels of life and work

Then of course there are the lessons we need to learn. The business partnership breakup which in hindsight was singularly the best business decision I have ever made. Learning about the cycles in business, adapting to employee expectations and behaviours and learning how to be a leader that can inspire a team to greatness. The latter is definitely a work in progress but its something I have become incredibly passionate about.

Today, I sit here in the most fortunate of circumstances. Things are all on the up - well, almost. You cannot have it all and that is a reality that I believe in wholeheartedly. I know some women may disagree but I can only gauge this from my own experiences rather than the experiences of others.

One of my favourite movies is "The Devil Wears Prada". Not for the reasons you may think, but because it inspires me to be more organised and to work hard to achieve the things I want in life whether it is professionally or personally.

From a personal perspective, I am always learning, growing and falling over. The falling over part isn't so much fun, but its something that I am learning to handle so much better and the more experience I get at it, the more I appreciate the journey I am currently on.

I often talk about the importance of happiness and how that translates into what happens in the workplaces and the successes we have in life. Recently, I have been privileged to have had an experience that will no doubt stay with me for life. I have learnt that you can love something or someone so completely - body and mind - that you have to let it go. Doing what is right outweighing what would make you personally happier, is hard for many people to comprehend, but deep down when the pain goes away, you realise how empowering it can be.

People come into your life for a reason. No matter whether its the grocer up the street or the person who cleans your home. If you spend time with them, there will always be something that you learn, that had you not had that experience, you would never have had the opportunity to do so.

Work is no different. Spending time to get to know your employees, no matter how big your organisation is, will change your life.