3 big things I learnt about myself

I was watching the movie King Richard the other night which is the story of Venus and Serena Williams and here are 3 things I learnt about myself.

The Vision

There was a common thread that wove through the whole story which was how Richard had written a 78-page plan for his daughters before they were even born.

That was his vision and plan for their life which was his bible.

And then he built the world around it to ensure the environment to was fail proof, from the behaviours, the discipline, the values, the culture – to make sure the vision had every chance of becoming reality.

This is just like building a brand – you need a vision to be your north star to ensure everything you do is in alignment to bring it to life – it is what keeps you focussed.

My business vision has always been to make brand strategy accessible to all business owners and I am currently building something to make that more of a reality than it has been so far.

The Positive Environment

There’s a scene where Venus is being interviewed, and the reporter just couldn’t accept that she didn’t doubt herself. He kept pressing her with questions trying to catch her out, as he was baffled that a young girl could be so confident in her ability and her future (but this had been built into her). Richard (her Dad) stepped in straight away, shutting the interviewer down before he could plant seeds of doubt in her mind.

And I realised I don’t create that same positive environment for myself. Even though I’m two and a half years into my business journey, with consistent results, a signature framework tested across industries and worked with six-and seven-figure businesses across Australia, I still let self-doubt settle into my thoughts.

I worry about failing. I worry what people will think if it doesn’t work.

I question if I can really pull off what I’m building with The Brand Way™ – but this is all working towards my vision – making brand building strategy accessible to every founder.

And the truth is, doubt is wasted energy because there is no evidence anywhere to support these thoughts, all it does is slow me down and pull me away from building towards my vision – the takeaway was to create a positive mental environment to thrive.

Celebration not failure

Then there was another moment where Venus played her very first pro match against the number one seed in the world. And she lost.

But while she bet herself up, when her family walked in they flipped the switch into pure celebration. Her family weren’t caught up in the fact that she didn’t win. They rallied around her, celebrating the milestone, that she played the best in the world. Because stepping onto that court at all was huge. It wasn’t failure – it was setting up the next step and motion for all the lifechanging events that would follow. 

And I realised I don’t give myself that same grace.

When I feel like I’ve failed, I hammer myself. I replay it, I tell myself it wasn’t good enough. Instead of seeing it for what it actually is – that I took the swing, I tried, and now I get to learn, iterate and improve – that is how greatness is achieved.

Once again, I reflected on the The Brand Way™ I’m building.

The movie helped me accept that the first round won’t be perfect – it’s can’t be, but you can’t get to the next step without taking the first leap. 

As a perfectionist, that’s not easy for me to sit with. But the more I think about it, the more I see that the first round isn’t a test of whether I succeed or fail – it’s the milestone that sets everything else in motion.

These are a few vulnerable reflections I had from the movie. Which one resonates with you?

Speak soon