Lessons Learnt in the Hurt Locker

If I had to describe the last 12 months, I would say it hurt.

I'm sure all leaders and business owners can empathise with 'growing pains'. And as someone who feels like they are on the way out of the hurt locker, hopefully, our story can serve as a little bit of a push to keep going for those that can't quite see the light!

How did we get here?

Prominence had an amazing comeback after the bad vibes of 2020 – we were bringing on new clients, we opened in the UK and the work from existing clients was thankfully pouring in. It came thick and fast and to put it bluntly, we weren't prepared at first.

This time last year we had 19 employees and after COVID-19 redundancies, I was the only one left on the ground in Australia. We were busy – I wasn't drowning, I had sunk. I had taken on too much, was running on fumes, madly trying to hire, manage clients, be a great leader, partner, friend and sleep/eat somewhere along the way. I couldn't keep up (obviously) and I was letting clients, my team and myself down. 

It all came to a head on a train (of course it was public) on my way to interview Georgia who still swears she couldn't tell. I was on the phone with Chris (who acts as a punching bag/sounding board in his spare time) sobbing. My inability to say no and my tendency to people please had caught up with me. And despite producing pages and pages of content on how to avoid burnout (because why practice what you preach?), I was well and truly burnt out and felt like a complete failure.

There were mistakes made.

Hindsight is a beautiful thing. When I think back on how we could have done things differently, I sometimes cringe. Decisions influenced by stress, tiredness and desperation rarely turn out well. Here are some things I wish I'd thought about differently 12 months ago:

• Not all business is good business – we took on or entertained conversations with businesses that didn't align with our USP. Why? Because Covid scared us. We lost close to 40% of our annual revenue overnight. And we felt pressure to make it all back by the next night.
• Sharing information with our team – we kept our team out of the loop because we thought sharing would mean they wouldn't feel stable in their jobs, that we weren't in control and we didn't want to cause panic. This is one that I really wish I’d done differently.
• Hiring more people doesn't solve all your problems – we have almost doubled our headcount in the last 12 months. This solved some issues but it was also just a Band-Aid for others. Chris actually kept telling us this, we didn't listen...
• We tried to do it all, altogether – all leaders wear many hats and we are no different. We made decisions by committee instead of having specific responsibilities. This slowed things down, wasted so much time and created confusion for the team.

But we learnt LOTS.

All in all, 2021/2022 wasn't so bad – we have laughed, cried, consumed a fair few margaritas and built foundations for a strong 2022/23. Some of these points sound so basic, but honestly back to basics is sometimes all you need.

Here are some of our learnings:

• Don't do it alone – I have a tendency to try and do everything and do it all at once. Unsurprisingly, this didn't work out for me. Prioritise, delegate and lean on others. Everyone needs support.
• Get a coach or a mentor – someone who can help you through the not-so-fun days and who can help you reset and start again when needed.
• If it's not a hell yes, it's a no – every time I went against my gut, it didn't go to plan. You don't always need a reason why. Trust yourself!

• Hiring is hard, but worth it – the wrong person will cost you more in time and sanity than waiting for the right person will. Don't wait till you are drowning to start recruiting, have a plan and stick to it.
• Invest in tech – the right tech stack can save you time, make you more efficient and help you streamline processes.
• Don't forget to eat - this one seems simple, but I couldn't tell you how many times my daily sustenance was just countless cups of coffee. Food, water, exercise and sleep will be essential to getting through the tough times.

Where are we now?

Prominence now has a team of 31 across four countries and a strong portfolio of clients who value marketing and the expertise that we bring. We also have big growth plans for 22/23!

None of this would be possible if we didn't have an amazing team who have stuck by us through the good and the bad.

Want to join us? We are always on the lookout for recruitment marketing specialists to join our team - reach out for a confidential chat, we'd love to hear from you!