The Beginner CEO

My career path looks more like the tributaries snaking through the Amazon than a road with a few junctions. It’s been as complex and treacherous as piranha waters at times. Not much has been a smooth, tarred road. But, that’s how you level up. That’s how you build resilience. You only know where your borders are if you’re constantly pushing up against them. 

With regards to my career, I’ve always prioritised learning and personal growth over almost everything else. There were times when I wasn’t sure that was the right choice. I’d ask myself, “why don’t you know what you want to do?” "Why do you always choose the hardest route?"

I couldn’t understand why I didn’t have any clarity on the path I wanted to follow. Only deep into my 30s did it get a little clearer. I knew my strengths and what I enjoyed but, still I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up.

And, here I am again. I’m way down the river and I've decided to follow a new split. I may have chosen the route with the waterfall waiting at the end. Or, I may finally be heading out to the ocean. But, that’s what makes it exciting. Challenge yourself and grow every single day. It’s not for everyone but, in hindsight, it seems to be a common thread throughout my life. 

I recently accepted the opportunity to join a tech startup in the hospitality space. For those that know me, you’ll be saying that doesn’t seem too different from what you’ve been doing for the last few years. And, you’d be right. Except for one thing. One pretty BIG thing. 

I’ve joined Wirely as the CEO. Please hold your applause till the end of the show folks.

I have been lucky in that almost at every stage of my career I’ve reported to directors, founders and CEOs. That has given me a good grounding to help grow and scale Wirely.

I know full well how hard it is to build a startup. I know how important it is to get the culture right. I know how challenging it is to align personalities and egos around a north star vision. I have vast experience in many of the challenges I will be facing. And, I cannot wait!

I’ve heard from a few mentors and leaders that being CEO can be the loneliest role in the world. And, in some ways, I can see how that could be true. But, I also think it’s a matter of perspective and how you position yourself. 

I will surround myself with an incredibly talented team. And, I will also make the effort to keep a few mentors close by because I know that I won’t be successful alone.

I’ve thought about being in this position for years. I’ve got pages and pages of notes I’ve been making about “how I’d do things differently if I was steering a ship”. One thing that was always top of mind for me. I want to try to build in public. I see a few CEOs doing this and I appreciate every bit of knowledge they share.

I am going to share my experiences. The good, the bad and the ugly in a regular journal. I identified 3 clear reasons why. By journaling my thoughts, tests and learnings I will gain greater clarity on what I’m doing. Maybe, if I get some things right it will be helpful to others in a similar space. And, I would like to build a community of link-minded leaders to grow and learn with in the future.

I will attempt to write something small each week. It may be a bit of strategy and how I structure my first days. It may be about a few big wins we’ve had as a team. And, for sure it’s going to be sharing a lot of mistakes I’m making.

For now, I’m titling this next chapter in my writing journey The Beginner CEO.

I am madly excited by the opportunity. I’m also terrified about what lies ahead but one thing I know for sure is I will be levelling up every week. And, for me, that is what life is about!

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Peace, love and muscles.

JazzaThe Beginner CEO