What do I have in common with the likes of David Bowie, Neil Young and Madonna? Not a lot you might say - and you would be right! But I am going to go out on a limb here and say I do have something in common with these superstars – reinvention!
I believe in the power of change, in getting outside your comfort zone and in trying new things. It’s helped me benefit and grow immensely in the past number of years and I believe it can help you too.
When I look back over my career I can spot a couple of interesting patterns. I tended to do a new job every 5 years, particularly in the early years, although this was often a promotion within the same company. It seems every 5 years I needed a new challenge. I also worked in areas that stretched me and presented me with a good challenge.
When I went to work on the rigs in the North Sea as a chef I had been to catering college and studied business studies and management but never qualified as a chef. I had worked part time in kitchens for years and this gave me to confidence to give it a go. This challenge made me even more ambitions, perhaps because I felt I had something to prove!
I believe that if you want to grow, you need to take a leap of faith and step outside of your comfort zone. Before Dragons Den I had never been in front of a camera, nor had I done TV work of any kind. It turned out to be an amazing experience and opened a lot of doors for me.
Likewise, when I first started broadcasting for Newstalk I had never done radio before. I didn’t let that stop me from giving it my best shot. I’ve worked so hard to become a better presenter (and I am still not quite there!). I still cringe when I listen back to my early shows but it does remind me how far one can go without any formal training.
We are due to open our 100th Insomnia shop in Cork later this month. This really amazes me. When I wrote my early business development plan the goal was 20 coffee shops. 20 shops seemed like an extremely lofty target in the early days. I thought that shop number three was going to kill me, or break me financially, or both and it nearly did.
When you challenge yourself, take a leap of faith, and are prepare to work hard you can surpass your wildest expectations. I’m not saying that is will be easy, but that is the whole point. Moral of the story – seek out new challenges, do what excites you, step outside of your comfort zone and put the work in.
Some easy tips for getting outside of your comfort zone:
1. Talk to someone completely new. You never know what you might learn or what might come up! Make this a habit.
2. Look for other perspectives. Seek out a different opinion than your own – you don’t have to change your opinion but perhaps you can educate yourself a bit more.
3. Get outside of your industry. Seek out inspiration from areas completely outside your industry. This is one of my favourite ways to get new perspective.
4. Upskill. Take any opportunity that you can to re-train, or up-skill whether it’s inside or outside of your field.
5. Be open. This is a biggie – be open to opportunities that will arise for you. Don’t rule things out based on fear. Recognise that any time you step outside of your comfort zone it will be difficult, but ultimately rewarding!
So get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself, you might be amazed where it will take you. Good luck.
Bobby
