Yesterday we got some very good news at the Wish Group, our own Teri Scott, President of Peoplesource Staffing was honoured with her third straight appearance on Profit Magazines Top 100 Female Entrepreneurs. As I reminisced with her about her climb to 18th on this list we started reflecting back on her career with us since she began back in 2007. We reflected on how she started out on a sales desk and how after growing a branch and then leading an aggressive expansion for the company into the tech region of Kitchener-Waterloo and downtown Toronto we also thought back to the difficult times such as how we got completely blindsided by the great recession of 2008-2009. It was a difficult time for many businesses but staffing is sensitive to the economy and unemployment especially given how quickly the employment rate turned, we were slow to react and as a result had several months of red ink. Not only did we burn through lots of cash, we had to witness first-hand how many of our contract employees and associates were left without work, it seemed as though nobody was going to ever hire again. As we talked about how awful that stretch of what seemed like forever was, we then assessed how many lessons we learned especially in dealing with adversity and not only keeping the business alive but realizing how we would come out stronger if the tide ever started to turn. It’s easier now to relive the memories of that awful breakdown, especially when we look back at the wonderful run we’ve had since coming out of those difficult times and how in 2010 she took on the presidency and then helped lead the Wish Group to seven straight appearances on Profit’s fastest growing companies.
We termed that period a s@#$ storm, or how I prefer to call them a Divine Storm. I characterize these times in our life when we feel like everything is against us and absolutely nothing is going well. It’s in times like these where you question everything and maybe even say something like “Why is this happening to me?”. Although I don’t enjoy going through these times of pain not unlike anybody else, what I’ve come to find however, is that moments like this are powerful opportunities to grow. They can be wake up calls where they don’t usher in the end as it feels like, but rather clearing a space for what’s trying to be born in your life and for what’s ahead. But we tend to interrupt the process and hang on to how it was and fear how it could be and we assume the worst, instead of preparing for a blessing. However, if you like me have reflected on your past breakdowns, you will look back and observe that when you go through a crisis, a hard time or a moment of pain that there is always a breakthrough on the other side.
What’s important to keep in mind while you’re going through the breakdown however (because that’s the experience share you’re waiting for) is to keep in mind that you are not being punished but rather you are being prepared. What no longer serves you is being removed from your life, and new life with bountiful opportunity is coming to you. At first it won’t make sense but soon you will know why things had to be the way they were, until then assume the best and don’t get in the way of a miracle in progress! And keep in mind that just past the breakthrough and inevitable “aha moment” you’ve been searching for, comes redemption! Teri and the whole Wish team is taking some time in soaking in some of that redemption this week and it sure is sweet and yours will be as well so stay strong!
Enjoy your week and feel free to share some of your breakthroughs!