“ Obstacles are inevitable, Response is a choice ”

On anxiety and failure

My entrepreneurial journey has been a series of ups and downs, from the first company I created to the several we have in the Gemini Group portfolio today.

I believe that Failure is truly the stepping-stone to success. If we haven’t failed, we haven’t tried or innovated or dared. Every stumbling block adds substance to one’s foundation, when surmounted.

Anxiety and fear of failure should be seen as an ally that keeps us on our toes. I believe good leaders are able to identify that only being well prepared and investing one’s best can calm this anxiety. Ultimately, one can choose to be paralyzed by it or see it as the quest for excellence, refusing to settle for less than one’s dreams. Not everything can always go to plan, but I believe this aversion to failure has prevented me from getting complacent and pushed me to do what is required.

I am own greatest critic and I frequently reflect on my decisions to find ways to improve them. I am a hard taskmaster, for myself and for others. My standards and expectations are high, and are the same for everyone, myself included. And therefore I don’t accept ‘NO’ for an answer. I truly believe that passion, commitment and a can-do attitude can cut a river through a mountain. It can open gateways where none existed.

No life can be lived that does not encounter hardships or naysayers. It is the character one shows in response – humbly and led by one’s moral compass – that defines how a life has been lived.