Home > Articles > Work & Career > Dave's Story
Dave's Story
I can remember very clearly, this time last year I was heading towards a huge void and I had no idea how I was going to fill it.
Had enough
I had had enough of the job of 10 years in retail management for a large DIY company and was terrified that my path with the company was going to see me through yet more years of soul destroying uninspiring work. But it was safe and secure and it had a pension with it. The voice of doubt was never very far away, telling me these things each time I thought about jumping into the unknown.
I desperately wanted to leave. I wanted to do something I could enjoy, something which was worth getting up in the morning for, and something I was passionate about.
Finally with the help of Sue Clarke’s coaching I jumped. I handed in my notice and started to freefall. I had decided I was going to start my own garden design business. Once one job rolled in another followed soon after.
Starting to work...
It was only a matter of weeks before I had several months work ahead of me and my services were in high demand. Then I had enough work to see me through to the end of the year. My fears gradually disappeared and were completely replaced with the joy that only working for yourself can bring.
A whole year has now passed and the business is growing far beyond my expectations. I have enough work to take me into next year now and have arrived at a point where I am taking people on to expand even further. It’s great to be at the "next stage" of building my business - taking on people who can do the more straight forward tasks will not only mean I can complete jobs faster, it will mean I can develop the garden design part of the business more, which I really want to do.
The whole venture is proving so exciting and I still have to pinch myself to remind me it's all true!
...And working hard!
That’s not to say it’s not been hard work. I’ve had to work late into the evening on many jobs because I’ve been learning as I go about giving realistic time estimates to my customers! One of my most important values is to give outstanding customer service, so sometimes I’ve chosen to work late to complete a job on time.
But long hours doing something I enjoy in order to make my customers happy is so different from having to stay late and work extra hours for my previous employer!
I look back to when I had that so called secure job and frequently discover that all the stresses and strains of the position I held had a lot to do with not enjoying what I was doing.
The difference now is that whilst I’m still having to make deadlines and pay bills and perform a role which keeps all my customers happy, I am finding it all incredibly easy because I enjoy what I am doing and the stresses of the job no longer exist.
What really puts the icing on the cake is that I am earning more money than ever.
Long may it continue!
Dave Shaw
Mobile: 0771 9081971
Email: davidshaw88@hotmail.com
