A Note From Nick
GROWING UP
Growing up, my environment was chaotic. As a kid, there was a lot of change early on – I was constantly moving towns, changing homes and building new friendships. My family endured the closure of my parents’ business and the breakdown of their marriage. I often worked 40 hour weeks, on top of my schooling, to help pay for our basic living expenses.
STARTUP TO SUCCESS
On occasion, someone will ask me how I came to be a business owner, offering me the chance to reflect over my last 26 years in business.
I recall myself as a young man in his 20s, in transition mode.
From someone who felt rather lost, and used all kinds of futile distractions in order to discover himself, I came upon an opportunity to open a business with a friend of mine. I thought, ‘What the hell?’ It was my nature to go with the flow, and the flow seemed rather fitting.
In truth, what did I have to lose? At the time, not much really.
The necessary and totally divine loneliness I felt prior to starting a business is the exact stage that brought me to where I am now. Dissatisfaction and eeriness both led me to diving head first without knowing what, or whether anything at all, would eventuate.
It was a profound and courageous moment. There were times when I had no idea what I was doing; all powerful initiations into the mysterious, terrifying and rewarding world of being a business owner. Business allows you to make shapes out of your life that you never thought possible. It allows you to see versions of yourself you never knew.
So, my letter to you today is this:
If you are starting out in business and it feels lonely, scary and extraordinarily confusing, you are not alone and this is very normal so PLEASE stay with it.
EVERY new business owner feels this way. That’s why we started Navig8Biz in the first place; as a support network for the boy I once was, who had no one to turn to – and for the entrepreneurs and game-changers just like you.
As an adult, I had three young children born within the space of two years, including twins, one of whom was born with a heart defect. Whilst managing the health of our baby girl, I was running a business, developing supplier relationships, managing staff, building growth and keeping customers happy.
A few short years prior I had lost my best friend and business partner to a tragic motor racing accident.
All of these things were happening in the background, whilst growing a multi-million dollar company and keeping my head above water. In business, you are forced to adapt to your surroundings. I learnt to stay afloat in a storm, embrace the wave and not only survive, but thrive.
BECOMING A MENTOR
As more and more people were looking to me for advice – my staff, customers, suppliers, friends and family – it struck me that I’d had achieved immense success in the area of business, money and investing. I realised that so many people needed help in these areas. It became my mission to improve the lives of business owners, by revolutionising the way people prepare for business ownership and how they run their companies.
So, I wrote a book about it, called Better Business Better Life, with all my secrets to success neatly compiled in its pages.
I thrived on helping others succeed; in lifting them to fulfil their purpose.
Yet, there was something inside me that I couldn’t shake. I couldn’t ignore this feeling that there had to be more I could give. The difficulty was in dividing my time across so many business owners who needed help.
NAVIG8BIZ WAS BORN
So I teamed up with friend, business woman, and education guru, Joanne Brooks. Together we wanted to ignite passion and profit into small businesses.
I’ve mentored thousands of students over the years and while every one of you is unique, there are two common threads: you all want to be profitable and you all want freedom. Unlocking your potential is what drives me.
Success is such a subjective term. For me, it’s always been about aligning my purpose and passion with business systems that produce outcomes. This secret formula allows me to live a life of freedom. With success comes the capacity to give back to the people close to you and the community at large. You also have the ability to reinvest into other businesses and passions, and work towards achieving your goals. You’re free to live an actively rewarding life. People think money is an ugly word, but the truth is, it’s not about money at all – it’s about the life you are able to live. You’re willing and enthusiastic to turn up to ‘work’ everyday. In a word, success is freedom.
Entrepreneurs with drive and passion are going to change the world. If you’ve read this far, then you’re one of them.
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