John's Story
What a difference a year can make!” what a cliché but it is so true… I met Fiona in person for the first time in January 2003, I have written in my diary “The day my life changed”.
I had purchased her book a year earlier but somehow had been unable to get past chapter two, I tried more than once but could just not make it happen on my own. In January of 2003 I had just returned from spending the whole month of December out of the country, some work and some holiday determined to make some changes in my life. I logged onto the fionaharrold.com website and found a contact number, I plucked up the courage (“Who was I to contact the respected Fiona Harrold?”) and called her. We scheduled to meet on Saturday 23 January.
As I drove up I kept thinking to myself, “Will this be worth it? Should I opt for just one session or sign up for a block? Why am I doing this? Am I prepared to reveal so much about myself to a stranger and more importantly pay for them for it?”
Let me tell you a little about myself, I’m called John, work in the City of London am thirty four have been single most of my life. I’ve never really had a girlfriend for longer than six months, I found I could not really express my feelings, the closer we became the more uncomfortable I was and would end it. Working in the “City” may be challenging and bring financial rewards does it bring happiness? It may for some, but not for me.
Before setting out to meet Fiona, I had arranged for a couple of estate agents to meet me at my home, it had been on the market since September, on a sole agency basis, although there had been a few viewings no offer was forthcoming. I had decided on a joint agency basis and was looking to find one, one could not make it and two arrived. The one agent thought it would sell quickly, she valued it at the same price that it was on with the existing agent, I decided to give them a joint mandate.
Back to my visit with Fiona, we spent about an hour together and at the end of it, I decided that I would go ahead with more than one session. I thought was more than I really wanted to pay, I’m glad that I did not write out a cheque to Fiona for one session on that Saturday and decided to go the whole hog, it has turned out to be one of the best investments I’ve every made, an investment in myself! When I left Fiona’s I checked my mobile, the estate agent had called and she had two viewings set for the afternoon and I accepted an offer on Wednesday 29 January. My life was beginning to change….
An action plan was devised, I needed to change my environment, not only where I was living but my work and social arena. I was no longer going to settle for second best, I was to become my own champion and not my worst enemy. During the next few weeks I found a new place to stay in an area of London more conducive for a single bloke and was going out more. I began dating someone I’d had my eye on for a while, but, in the past did not feel that I was good enough for her, that “second best issue”.
Well, no more, the “new” John was out, we went out on a couple of dates and before I knew what had happened she kissed me! She was one of the first to witness the transformation and we have been dating ever since.
One thing that became apparent was that I had always wanted to work for myself so I began investigating different ventures. They were all related to an interest or passion of mine. Some were capital intensive and although I had sold my property and had been fortunate to make a profit, it was not sufficient for what I was looking to do. I was becoming a person with energy and enthusiasm, not the withdrawn character I was when I first met Fiona.
Then my Big Idea suddenly appeared!
I was having my hair cut with my usual barber, Terrance, who comes from the same region of South Africa, and he asked what I was going to do with the profit I had made from the sale of my property. I replied that I did not know, when he suggested we buy an existing barber shop or start our own. We have formed a company, have been out hunting for a location and have recently been offered a site in a prominent City retail location.
The more you let others know about your plans the more things seem to fall into place, we had a professional design a logo but were not satisfied, Terrance met up with an old friend in the design industry, a couple of days later and we have our new logo, all free of charge. All the designer wants in return is, if we are asked, to give his name to anyone who enquires who designed our logo.
There are ups and downs but the key is to visualise the end product. I can see the opening day clearly and know that it is going to be a great success, in the not too distant future you may read in the press about a new “Gentlemen’s hairdresser” and their innovative launch day, that will be the opening of our salon. In fact, I’ll ask Fiona to include it in a Newsletter!
I have not yet resigned from my current job yet, we are waiting to tie up a couple of loose ends. Even though I know that I am going to be moving on, I am not prepared to settle for “second best”. Most of my colleagues have been granted a salary increase that just beats inflation but, I have negotiated an increase in excess of 20%. Notwithstanding I still look forward to the day I hand in my resignation, at the moment it should be before the end of February.
I will probably earn less in my new venture, but I’ll be living my dream of working for myself.
Finally let me revisit the key question I asked myself while I was driving to visit Fiona. “Will this be worth it?” It certainly has been, I have learnt to take a positive approach to life. For some of you the book may to the trick, for me, I needed a little guidance and, in my opinion, it would be difficult to beat Fiona’s!
John
