Good thing I wore my marine cap today.
After hitting this gym this morning; I went for a pleasant stroll through Parramatta CBD (in Western Sydney). I went a way at a time I don’t normally do and it turned out to be a great move.
There was this ‘person’ (and I use that term very loosely) who was harassing people in the street. Yelling, swearing, even scared some children and I switched back into my old Military / Fed type of mode.
I started following them as I do and was ready to intervene if anything extreme occurred. Of course I didn’t want to do that for risk of my own safety and the like and always remembered back to the first thing you learn when you work for the government:
– Don’t be a hero, call in reinforcements!
So I pulled out my phone, dialled 000 and kept following the suspect to keep an eye on him. I then watched them talk to another individual in what I thought clearly to be a ‘type of deal’ with a package transferred and I was telling the operator on emergency 000 everything. They then were on the move. About 120 seconds later there were police everywhere looking for this guy and it was a great move. The situation was under control, I bet they know who this guy is and they will have him in a cell by the evening at the latest.
This got me thinking about my business, the events I have run and succeeding as a small business owner / entrepreneur. With many events I have run, big clients I have worked with and even speaking at events; one must know when you can handle it or you have to summon reinforcements to help you out. Quite often I have called in help so we all win the day (including my friends Mark Kyte, Martha Arifin and co – love their work).
I know people who are very ‘proud’ so to speak and must do everything themselves. This is a very big mistake. Lots of pressure will be on your shoulders and especially if you are ‘green’ in terms of experience; you are likely to get into lots of trouble.
My advice and thinking? Be proud of how intelligent you are by calling in backup / friends to help you out. If a situation is sticky or you know it’s too much for you – get some friends to help you get the upper hand. It may be visiting that big potential client together with a wingman, doing a workshop / seminar with a partner or even more – just someone to give you that intangible yet critical morale support.
Love your work, thanks for read, thank you NSW & Parramatta Police for your rapid response (you rock!).
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