How you know you’ve done the right thing, starting your own business

So this came up in conversation at the office yesterday. And again in conversation with someone else last night.

How do I know that I did the right thing, quitting a stable job and starting a business with a friend when we were actually pretty clueless about how we were going to do it?

Mostly because I feel so bloody lucky. Often.

Lucky that I can go to a physio appointment at 10am on a Wednesday and not have to ask anyone’s permission.

Lucky that, when I’m not enjoying an aspect of the job, Liz and I can go for coffee and chat about how to restructure things so we don’t have to do the things we don’t like doing.

Lucky that we can just decide to change our office hours so that we always finish at 4pm on Fridays (I mean, what were we thinking before? This is Cape Town after all.).

Lucky that I don’t work in a soulless air-conditioned office, but one with a beautiful view of the mountain and Lion’s Head, plants that we’re doing our best not to kill, a couch with comfy cushions, and a massive blackboard wall filled with a beautiful mural drawn by our friend Dylan.

Lucky that I can picture myself doing this far into the future – because we can mould it into whatever we want it to be, whatever suits us as we grow and the business grows.

Lucky that I work with people I trust (important) and like (imperative).

Lucky that we laugh as often as we do. That, when everyone’s getting a bit tired and over things, Carla will ask Liz a question and Liz will say: “Sorry, I only respond to song.” So, when Riyad wants to ask if a new website has gone live yet, he will rap his question while Liz beatboxes and I cry with laughter in the corner.

Lucky that my business partner is one of my closest friends. That we can swap “work” and “friends” hats seamlessly in one conversation. That, after all the stress and hard work of building a business from nothing, we’re still friends. Good ones.

Man. That’s a whole lot of luck.