While the first week was the most exciting time of the year to date, the second week was riddled with sleep deprevation, home-sickness and a case of missing the basic home comforts that I have come to enjoy.
On top of that, I realized that although getting new clients was relatively easy (for today) it is twice as hard to get everything else organized around that from an administrative point of view when you don't have your entire administration team at your disposal.
And... the time difference means that instead of 12 hours a day at work it was now 16 hours a day with little time to spare and if I was really lucky, I would get Sunday off, but probably not, because there is so much to do.
As a buddying technology developer alongside a roving entrepreneur with an ambition to be something that is possibly attainable I realized that it is not without a shitload of sacrifices. Sorry about the language but let's be frank here... I am entitled to lose my cool every now and again on only a few hours sleep a night.
What no-one told me was that instead of setting up a business and hitting the road running - that as a marketer, sales may come slightly more easily than envisaged but setting up a business and understanding the law of the land is twice as hard. I have to learn everything I have learnt over the past 20 years from an administrative and legal perspective all over again. Additionally, the laws of the land on a State by State basis are different and if I don't get it right the first time, I possibly cannot change it without being seen as some type of corporate mishap who may be trying in vein to do something that is possibly illegal or not exactly what is the done thing in the area.
Given that I am so square, any illegal activity is out of the question, but gosh, there are mistakes to be made and I am trying my heart out to minimize those - all at the expense of my back pocket and the amount of hours I can spend snuggling up to my hotel pillow that I am slowly becoming very fond of.
It is also interesting to know that culturally, there is a big difference between Australia and America.
I mean a BIG difference.
I adore my American friends and just quietly, they don't mind me either or at least they don't mind my Aussie accent that stands out like "dog's balls". Ok... Australian humor falls on deaf ears more than I care to admit.
Cleverly, I have sucked up much of my uncertainty on what to do, when to do it and how to do it but it appears that I am now almost 7 weeks into the expansion plans and I am failing - at least in the emotional stakes. If you haven't realized it yet, I am a woman and I am in desperate need for someone to hold my hand. Stuff this "feminist" bullshit. I happily would like to be the woman who has someone alongside that shows me the way. I hate the fact that I have to navigate unfamiliar waters without a paddle boat to keep me afloat.
A man would be brilliant right now not only to open doors but to protect me from all of these scary things that keep coming my way and ensuring that I am constantly second guessing my decisions that are creating havoc with my mindset.
Now, this doesn't necessarily need to be a man, but what a man represents in the traditional sense: the protector, the person you trust and who watches your back when you can't see what is behind you.
So, yes - expansion isn't what it's cracked up to be, but for me, I will walk forward and continue to strive to be my best and to deliver on the business goals but occasionally I think I am going to need that shoulder to cry on.
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Mellissah Smith
Mellissah Smith is a marketing expert with more than 20 years experience. Having founded and built two successful marketing companies internationally, she is well recognized as a industry thought leader and innovator. Mellissah started her career working with technology and professional services firms, primarily in marketing, public relations and investor relations, positioning a number of successful companies to list on the various Stock Exchanges around the world. She is a writer, technology developer and entrepreneur who shares her thoughts and experiences through blogs and written articles published in various media outlets. Brag sheet: #2 marketer to follow on Twitter (2003), Top 150 Marketers to Follow (2015), Top 10 innovative marketers (2014), 60K+ followers on Twitter with 97% authentic.
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