Different leaders use different leadership styles. So, how do you know when you’ve come across a complete winner in a leader?
I want to take you on a journey if I may. One that spans a couple of years. It involves heartbreak, turmoil, success, failure, burnout, and so much more. This story is quite a personal one, so it’s coming right from my heart.
A couple of years ago, my life flipped upside down. Again! All seemed to be going along okay, and then suddenly, out of the blue. Flip! I lost a business I’d had for 14 years. I was living in a country that was no longer my home, and then an exceptionally close friend abandoned me, just as rock bottom reared its ugly head. Life was not fun.
I suddenly found myself dealing with confusion, rejection, abandonment, loss, grief, and many other emotions. For a while, I wandered around in a complete daze. Half the time, I didn’t know if I was coming or going. One thing I knew for sure, though, deep down in my heart was that I’d survive this. I’d been in much worse situations in my past, and I still had the support of my husband, a few close friends, and my beautiful kids. I knew I’d make it.
Another feather in my cap was my consistent habit of never giving up. I’d been in business for myself at this stage for over 20 years. During that time, I’d created several successful companies, and even though my confidence was knocked a bit at this moment, I knew I’d be ok in the long run.
So, I started doing what I could to mend what had broken, piece by piece. Feeling less confident than normal, I started looking for a mentor to help me. Truth be told, I didn’t need a mentor, but I was one lost soul at the time.
I had been friends with a gentleman on Facebook through my connections in the Tony Robbins world for some time. He seemed to have plenty of knowledge, and so I reached out for a chat.
I was blown away when this man offered to mentor me for free. How lucky, I thought. So, the next day, this gentleman and I started putting in the hours. We were working on promoting a program I’d created, and the plan was to bring in $60,000 each time. Sounds pretty good, right?
I was excited and started working as hard as I could. Not only to please him because of the effort he was putting in, but also for myself. His guidance, in the beginning, was exceptional. We’d do daily calls, and each day he’d give me new tasks to complete. The trouble came a few weeks in. With each day that passed, he’d give me new things to do, new programs to buy, and new milestones to achieve. I found myself working 16 hours a day to cope with the workload, and he was relentless.
I was working seven days a week, and I’ve got to tell you, I burned out really fast. After just four weeks of working with him, I couldn’t take another day. The day I quit working with him, I’ll never forget. It was a Sunday, and I woke up crying.
I’d just realized that for the past two weeks, my children had been on school holidays and I hadn’t had a spare hour to spend with them. Not only that, but I was also burned out from the previous trauma I’d been through, and I just had nothing left. My mentor was mad at me. He swore and bucked, but I had to let go. To this day, he has never spoken to me again.
So, here I was, burned out, exhausted, lost, and broken, and I had no idea what I’d do next. I continued to push forward with the program my former mentor and I had been working on, and I even made $10K off it. But I was so tired and exhausted, I just couldn’t go on.
So, I took a break. For anyone who knows me though, a break never lasts for a long time. Soon I started to look at other ways to climb the mountain. That’s when the universe delivered another “mentor.”
This one started with a hiss and a roar, and in our first phone call, gave me more than one “mic drop moment.” Even though I’d been in business for over 20 years, this man was still telling me things I needed to learn. Instant respect was formed.
A few months passed, and before I knew it, we were in a pandemic. It was because I lost all my coaching clients in one day that I sat down and wrote my #1 international bestselling book. I know, you are probably thinking, what’s this got to do with the mentor?
Hold on to that question for just a moment.
I decided to really start pushing the book, and I decided to hire a VA. The man I spoke to all those months earlier ran a VA company. So, I reached out to him and hired one of his people. But this was to be a turbulent relationship. It only lasted a short time, and before I knew it, I was stuck with a VA that wasn’t performing. Out of respect for this man, who had really lit up my world, I hung on, and kept on being pleasant. It was pointless, though. The world was changing around me fast. He was in damage control due to clients dropping for him left right and centre, and I knew I’d have to bail as well.
Again, I was feeling lost, unsure, let down, and I also had the kids home from school. So, the next few months went by in a blur. Sure, I had a hit with my book, but I found the constant having to put myself out there for any traction, draining.
I was just about to give up entirely when an angel walked into my life. This angel was kind, caring, supportive, and loving, but strict. She didn’t take any foolishness from me and was happy to call me on it, if I did. She showed me a way forward I’d never considered, and I ran with it. In the space of three weeks, I’d earned $15,000. My confidence had returned, and I felt like I could do anything again. This spurred me to take another step.
Since the work I was doing was based on helping people get back on their feet, I decided to do a 14-day video series, showing people exactly how to do this—build a business from scratch with no money down. The business idea I ran with was article and blog writing. I had discovered earlier this year that I was very talented at it. This is what sparked the book, and I already saw how this was all intermingling.
The article and blog writing venture took off like a rocket. Before I knew it, I had more work than I could handle, and I hired writers from across the globe, plus I hired two editors. I am now three months into it, and I’ve even hired a manager to help me because my business is growing fast. Now three months in, I have 12 members of staff around the world. I am building a second team of writers, and my business is booming. I have a strong vision of success in front of me, and there’s no looking back.
This woman was the catalyst that boosted me to a place I never saw myself going. It was her grace and kindness that helped me get back on my feet, so I could, in turn, help others do the same.
So, here’s the moral of the story. When things get tough, you’ve got to push through. Even though you might want to cling to anyone and anything during these challenging times, ensure that you choose wisely.
By selecting the right people and not the wrong ones, you’ll save yourself much heartache, setbacks, and pain. Finding a leader who inspires you, empowers you, and enables you, will help you go further, so much faster.
This woman gave me back my life, and she did it all for no reward, except for the prize she got from seeing me fly. This woman, in my opinion, is a true example of a leader. Thank you, Cristel.
About Maini
Founder and CEO of Copywriters International
Maini Homer is an entrepreneur and mastermind businesswoman living on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. Maini has been in business for herself for over 23 years and has created 13 successful businesses from scratch. Recently, she also became a #1 international bestselling author in three categories and countries as well. Visit Maini at www.copywritersinternational.com