Resilience: The Must-Have Mindset to Get Over the Bad Days
Hope you’ve been enjoying your day! 👋🏿👋👋🏽 Even if things haven’t been great, brighter days are ahead. Living in that mindset is important. Carol Hindsman, the co-founder and CTO (Chief Technology Officer) of JourneyTrack shares how she pushed ahead, especially after a dark day. In today’s Generation Si!, learn how she found a new beginning.
In this issue, you’ll find out the following:
🌴The kinds of people to surround yourself with when you’re starting a business
🌴 The office supply that can help get you back on track when you’re having a rough day
🌴A webinar you can listen to, on your schedule, to develop a proactive mindset
🌴 It’s time to meet Carol Hindsman, the tech entrepreneur who co-founded JourneyTrack…
LOSS CAN BE A CHANCE TO START OVER
“It’s one of those things that I wouldn’t wish anybody to go through.”
The date was August 12, 2020.
In the middle of the pandemic, this was the day a devastating fire destroyed Carol Hindsman’s house.
Watching her beloved home and keepsakes quickly get devoured by flames was upsetting.
But Hindsman was thankful her family and dogs survived.
Still, the family had to start over – from scratch.
“Having to think through, ‘Hey, I have to start again. What will I like? What do I want to do?” put a lot of things into perspective for her.
It helped Hindsman reassess her life and priorities.
THE TIP JAR (Tips provided courtesy of Carol Hindsman)
STARTING OUT: Carol Hindsman says you should trust yourself, but keep in mind that the more people you “can leverage to bounce things off, the better.”
WHO ARE “THOSE” PEOPLE? She says, “It’s not about people who tell you what you want to hear. It’s the people who are willing to tell you what you need to hear.”
STEEPED IN SKILLS (mid-career): “You’re kind of, like, at a really good point because you kind of have a little bit of experience of your own to guide you through it…”
“Fail fast and keep going. Because it can’t just be fail fast and get out of it. No, fail fast, learn what happened and get back [into it.]”
STARTING OVER: Hindsman cautions you to not let being in this stage keep you from going after your dreams. She does, however, urge you to understand your boundaries, whether they’re financial or family-related.
“Set a plan that is agreeable for you and your partner. And set your goals. But set your goals within those parameters.” Just like a marriage… you have to take as much as you give from it. But you have to do it with those around you. Otherwise, it will really disconnect you from everybody else.”
I’LL NEVER DO THAT AGAIN: “I think the answer is ‘why’ I wouldn’t do it again, right? Because the ‘why’ tells me, perhaps, there’s something I need to change before I get to go through something like that again. It could be that I learned something about myself in the process.”
BEST ADVICE FROM “LA CASA”/BEST “HOUSE” ADVICE: “My mom would say, “If you don’t react to the negative, people will stop doing the things that bother you.”
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES: “If people were doing something that [was] really bothering me, whether it was at school or at work, if they were picking on me because my English wasn’t good, or I was just the new kid on the block and I didn’t fit in, my mom would say, ‘If you let them bother you, they win.’”
HELP OFTEN COMES WHEN YOU DON’T EXPECT IT
After the fire, Hindsman decided to take a break after working for a major company for 16 years.
The fire even led Hindsman to her business partner, Ania Rodriguez.
That’s because Rodriguez was right there, shortly after the fire, offering to help.
Hindsman didn’t ask her to help. But there she was.
That kind gesture showed Hindsman that Rodriguez, a friend from one of her networking groups, was a true friend, indeed.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP REQUIRES RESILIENCE
The fire also taught Hindsman resilience, something she believes is a must for all entrepreneurs, at any stage.
“Boy, there are days that just beat you up. But… if that’s what you want to do and that’s what you want to achieve, you’ve just gotta keep going. Resilience is the name of the game.”
HAVE YOUR STICKY NOTE READY TO HELP GET YOU BACK ON TRACK
She says, on those days when you think to yourself, “maybe it’s not going to happen,” something as simple as a sticky note can get you back on track.
The tech entrepreneur says the message on the sticky note should finish the statement, “I am doing this because…”
Hindsman says the sticky note’s message is, basically, telling you, “Hey, I’m reminding you that you will have those days when you’re going to question everything. And here’s some of the answers that you have to go back to…”
If those answers are for the right reasons, she believes, you’ll find the strength to keep going.
PRACTICE KINDNESS ON YOURSELF: GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK
“Don’t be afraid to give yourself a break. Okay? We all need that disconnect…”
Hindsman reminds you that you can pick things back up the next day. Of course, she also cautions that a break can’t happen every day, but “you know when you need it. And when you need it, you have to take it.”
KEEP FINDING WAYS TO GROW
This is coming from someone who admits she puts too much on her shoulders. After all, she went back to school to get an MBA when her daughter was a teenager and her adopted son was four, while working a full-time job.
That journey of resilience has served Hindsman well at JourneyTrack. With Rodriguez, the two co-founders are working to get the software platform (that the company’s name is based on) to the next level. The platform helps companies assemble and manage scattered data so they can track and understand customer experience.
KEEP MOVING FORWARD
Now, no matter what the day brings, no matter the challenge, Hindsman knows resilience is the muscle entrepreneurs must constantly flex to own a successful business.
“What I’ve seen, and what I continue to see, is that success comes [when you] keep trying… Companies that make it, they all tell you that it wasn’t all success. It wasn’t a pretty road. But they just kept going.”
LOOK FOR THE GOOD IN THE BAD
And, now, despite losing her house and precious belongings to the fire, on balance, Hindsman says the amazing friendships, strengthened family relationships and resilience she built up from that experience, enriched her outlook and attitude about life.
“You gain so much more than you lose.”
INDUSTRY:
SaaS (Software as a Service)
CX (Customer Experience) Management Platform
STARTED BUSINESS:
Incorporated – June 2020
Went Live – Dec. 2021
HISPANIC CONNECTION:
Born in Venezuela
Mom was born in Spain
EDUCATION:
FIU – Master’s degree in Business Administration
FIU - Master’s degree in Computer Engineering
FIU – Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering
DREAM JOB AS A KID: “I was sure I was going to be an astronaut… I don’t know what it was about space or just the fact that it looked super cool to have all those suits and, you know, be able to do all those cool missions. But when I graduated electrical engineering, I was only a resident… I didn’t have my citizenship, and the kind of work that they had for non-citizens was not anything of interest. So I moved on.”
BIGGEST GOAL YET: “Reach a million dollar[s] in revenue with our startup. And we’re hoping to finish the year on that. So it’s kind of short, but it’s a very tall ask. But I am very determined to get there.”
NO NEED TO GO IT ALONE
HELP ON THE OUTSIDE...because we can all use a helping hand:
The Money Talk
Cash flow is critical to your business. Knowing how to manage it can be a “make or break” skill. In this FREE webinar, you’ll gain practical information on budgeting, money management and being able to differentiate between costs vs. expenses, among other valuable tips. And there’s a bonus. If you attend the live webinar, you’ll get a copy of the presentation deck, as well as some free resources. Here are the details for the webinar:
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
Tue., Feb. 21, 2023
1:00 p.m. EST – 2:00 p.m. EST
Virtual Webinar
FREE
https://www.score.org/event/small-business-cash-flow-and-money-management
WORKING ON THE INSIDE...because we know our culture has a hard time asking for help:
Start Strong
This recorded webinar is designed to help you start your business with a strong base. From identifying what type of business owner you are to using that to instill in yourself a proactive mindset.
Brian Moran, the former Executive Director of the Wall Street Journal, leads this discussion. I thought this was a good class for doing “work on the inside” because, according to the webinar description, Moran also explains why accountability, discipline and commitment are the linchpins to business success. I believe that applies to personal success, as well. Here’s more info:
SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives)
Starting a Business – How to Build a Foundation That Lasts
Recorded Webinar
FREE
https://www.score.org/event/starting-business-how-build-foundation-lasts
INSPIRATION FOR THIS ISSUE:
We often hear that children are much more resilient than we expect them to be.
For some, it may be because their age and maturity don’t allow them to grasp the full magnitude of a devastating experience. For others, it could be that their perspective of the world is still hopeful and full of wonder.
What I’ve always found humbling and admirable are those adults I’ve met over the years as a reporter who have lost so much in life, but who are resilient and grateful. They’re not bitter, despite going through a terrible loss, health issue or experience.
I don’t pretend to know the science behind resiliency and why some people have better coping skills than others.
What I do know is that people like Carol Hindsman, who bounce back and use difficulty as an opportunity to reflect on the positive, can teach us about being grateful for the little things.
They remind us that good can, indeed, come from loss. And there’s still so much to be gained, if we only look for it, learn from it and keep going. #theskyisNOTthelimit
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