An image of a group of 20 people, standing together smiling.

Two days on Kalkadoon Country

I love my work. Even the bits I don’t really like – like bookkeeping – I actually find fascinating. I love that I’m learning how the numbers work, how they matter and how they can help me do the business better. Even though I’m not very good at it.

This is not a post about bookkeeping though, it’s about how I was reminded about what I REALLY love.

We were invited to participate in an Indigenous Tourism Workshop in Mt Isa. So Tuesday morning we were up early (4.30am) and I flew from Brisbane, Bernice from Townsville and headed up to Kalkadoon Country.

The workshop was led by Russell Boswell from Savannah Guides and we were in the room along with other support services to provide mentoring and guidance. And it was wonderful.

Sitting down and talking to folks about their ideas, the opportunities ahead, as well as the hard-work and grind that is all part and parcel of building an enterprise. That is something I love doing. I love education and training, brainstorming and strategising. I love building action plans and working through the 1000 tiny steps involved in building a business. I love working through ways we can bring others along on the journey. THAT’S the work I love.

I came home on Wednesday thinking about how much I love being in the room with people working on ideas. That is my true passion place.

I’ve been grappling with my role as CEO (technically Managing Director at IM) and thinking about how I’m not sure I’m the right person for that job. I generally apply the same energy to it that I do any business I’m working on. But unfortunately there are only so many hours in a day. If I do that work for others, how do I find the time to do it for IM? Or maybe the question is what do I need to do to enable me to be an on-the-tools CEO? So I get the best of both roles?

Maybe it’s coming up to mid-50s or maybe it’s seeing IM’s growth in the last 18 months that has made me question my work life. Maybe it’s about thinking objectively about what IM needs. While I founded it, does that automatically mean I’m the right one to grow it?

I think 2022/2023 will be a time to revisit what brings me joy and where I want to put my energies, and what the company needs to flourish in its own right.