Taking the plunge
It’s been a long time coming. We met in 2010 shortly after we’d both started working as HR Business Partners at HSBC, a global bank headquartered in London. It was the first foray into financial services for us both and having a lot to learn, we gradually became trusted colleagues, then work friends, and then close friends. When we both left HSBC in 2017 we managed 18 months at different firms before we were back together again at Brooks Macdonald by the end of 2018.
Since 2010 we’ve married our respective partners, moved house several times, Katy had children, Tom had cancer, we were both made redundant, and Katy’s daughter Olivia has had a rollercoaster ride with her own health. Through our ups and downs we’ve listened, supported each other, built trust, and most importantly had plenty of laughs!
We both have great jobs at Brooks Macdonald – it’s a fantastic firm with a progressive people agenda and we get to work with some talented colleagues. So why are we taking the plunge and setting up HEX, our very own business? The answer is that we’re passionate about helping people and organisations to be at their best, and we can offer more by working with several great companies rather than just one.
It doesn’t feel comfortable though. We’ve both had steady employment our whole working lives. We’ve always had something to get up in the morning for, been paid on time every month, and never had to worry how we were going to keep a roof over our heads or put food on the table. It’s not only a change for us, it’s the same for our husbands – and they have even less control over the situation than we do.
But you know what, it feels worth it. Looking back, none of our biggest or transformational achievements were easy. Whether it was going on that first date with our partners, making that presentation to a hundred people, or coming to terms with our biggest failures to learn and be better the next time, none of it was comfortable but we’re glad we ‘took the plunge’. As Nathan Furr and Susannah Harmon Furr say in their HBR article ‘How to overcome your fear of the unknown’: “uncertainty doesn’t have to paralyse us… we can all become adept at managing it and empower ourselves to step confidently into the unknown and seize the opportunity it presents”.
We’re not special. Millions of people have taken the plunge with new business ventures before. Some have succeeded, many have failed, but we know that we’ve got fantastic partners, families, friends, colleagues and networks that will always be our cheerleaders and supporters. Most importantly, we’re confident that we’re good at what we do, we love working with people and organisations, and we’re doing it together!
We’re excited to see what we can achieve and we’re glad you’re on the ride with us - feel free to leave us your comments below too.
Best wishes
Katy and Tom
PS – we’d love you to spread the word about us and what we offer. Our website is at www.hex-development.com and we offer a free of charge, no obligation consultation to anyone who thinks we might be able to help them.
