Pink Coat a year down the line

21st October 2016

Pink Coat’s 1 year anniversary has led to a lot of congratulations and amazingly sweet messages. Thank you so much for that! According to you guys the first year has been as success. That’s my assumption based on your reactions. And they made me blush. I hadn’t realized it that much to be honest, although I know the business is doing well. I would be a terrible entrepreneur not knowing that 😉
I have to admit I did give myself a year to find out this could be my future and have decided that it definitely can. So that is great news! But please don’t be fooled by all positive messages on social media and what you hear “in the streets”. Life as an entrepreneur (and as a 31 year old female entrepreneur) is not always easy, actually it is not easy at all. And your reactions also thought me more than ever that social media sometimes only gives you one side of the story. You see positive posts and exciting news and it seems like everything is going smooth and easy. Although that is great from Social Media, it is also a risk. And two people actually made some joke or comment in the last weeks that I should be careful the success would not go to my head. I can assure you, it doesn’t. And besides that I don’t even see the success as being that big at all. But we can debate that for hours…

Instead I have decided to show you what you haven’t seen on Social Media. I’ve realized you deserve a tour behind the scenes. Of the things they don’t show when being live and online 😉 because I would think you would know. But sometimes it is good to get a peek behind the scenes. So here it goes – Pink Coat behind the scenes. Are you ready?

  1. 1You haven’t seen that after years of doing groceries together my husband did most of the groceries and cooking this year because I was either catching up on work or simply too tired.
  2. You haven’t seen me become become immune to 3 types of deodorant this year due to scary moments and stressful appointments. I am not kidding 😉
  3. You haven’t seen my mind full moments, before I have to speak or deliver training, especially the big ones. You haven’t seen that most of these moments are visits to the bathroom (they only place you are not disturbed), where I take 3 minutes to meditate.
  4. You haven’t seen my struggle to wake up after another horrible dream. As a very vivid dreamer I have experienced this year twice. Live, as well as in my dreams. And if you would know how much went wrong there….
  5. You haven’t seen how appointments and follow ups piled up, before I realized I needed an office manager and found the amazing Marielle. Who called my agenda “belonging to the complicated agendas category”. It was the hardest lesson learned and my best decision ever.
  6. You haven’t seen the “free gifts” that people have given me to kickstart the company – for example the entire branding done by Present Savvy by my bestie. Only to ask for a hug in exchange.
  7. You haven’t seen my awesome clients and partners who have put trust in me and have given me the self confidence to deliver what I promised. And my life coach who monitors my well being and work life balance. She is a necessity!
  8. You haven’t seen the number of times we didn’t have enough clean (or dry) clothes or our cats didn’t get food in the morning. Because my head was already in the car.
  9. You haven’t seen all the moments I forgot to remember birthdays and important moments in the life of friends and family because I was too preoccupied.
  10. And most of all you haven’t seen the enormous line of wise, warm and helpful mentors and entrepreneurs (you know who!!) who are always there for support a shoulder or a tough talk. We all need mentors, they are the biggest gift in life.

But what you also didn’t see:

  1. I wake up with a smile every day, excited to see what’s coming.
  2. I never felt closer to working my passion in L&D thanks to the LPI team.
  3. My dances in the living room with whatever small success was booked.

So even though “being successful” is something we can debate for hours and I will never say out loud that I think I am (because I don’t) I did feel the need to paint the whole picture, because YES I am proud where Pink Coat is today and how we are helping the L&D industry, but I haven’t done it alone AND it was definitely NOT easy…
And to close: I am writing this also as a reflection on the last year. With enormous pride and humbleness. Realizing that I can only wish (and work my a** off) to keep up the work we are doing. I believe in this so much! We are making the world a bit better by developing the L&D profession. And we can’t do it alone.

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