A letter to myself


 
 

We’re celebrating our 10-year anniversary here at Pace this month.  A full decade of momentous highs and testing lows.

Would I have done anything differently when I think back to 2015 when it all started?  I wonder…

Here’s a letter from me today to the me ten years ago when I started Pace.

 

Dear Anita

You are about to embark on an emotional rollercoaster that’s unmatched by anything else you’ve ever done.

I love your energy and excitement which is infectious – your blind optimism and drive will be needed in the coming months and years so try and keep that fire in your belly; there will be times when it will be tested to the core and you’ll sometimes wonder if it’s all worth it. 

In the early days you’ll be learning agency life on the job. You might think your 20+ years of in-house marketing experience will mean you’re well-equipped for this, but you’ll find it’s very different being on the ‘other side’. You have enough stubborn self-belief to not be daunted by this, but you’ll have to learn quickly! It’s probably a good thing that you don’t know how much you don’t know. Over time, you’ll also learn how to ask for help – whether because of the wisdom that comes with maturity… or when you admit that the future, as exciting as it is, is going to be very different to where you’ve been.

Your agency will evolve considerably in 10 years – team members will come and go; and clients will too. In the early years you’ll be upset about both and take it very personally. But you’ll learn quickly that it’s okay. Agencies are a brilliant training ground for young talent. They’re also not for everyone – it takes a lot of unique skills to thrive in the rollercoaster world of agency life. And clients are no different – they have to be a good fit for you, as much as you need to be a good fit for them.  

At the beginning, you’ll say ‘yes’ to everything – if a client or prospect asks if you can help with something, the default response will always be yes and then you’ll find a way to do it. So it will be a brave decision when you decide Pace should start saying no and stop trying to be everything to everyone. It will mean you’ll have to say goodbye to some clients and some team members but it will definitely be the right decision and one that will pay off, if you have the confidence to stick with your convictions! 

That’s not to say there won’t be many, many days when you’ll question yourself. You can overthink things and procrastinate… but indecision is crippling, for you and your business. You know it keeps you awake at night and gets you down when you can’t decide what to do. Far better to make a decision and move on; even a bad decision is better than no decision. And yes, you’ll make some lousy ones but that’s okay – you’ll learn to dust yourself off and take something positive from the experience. It’s so easy to beat yourself up when you have your own business, as the responsibility is huge. You’ll have a responsibility to your team but just as importantly, you’ll carry a personal responsibility – you’ll be making a lot of sacrifices over the coming years that you’ll have to justify to yourself; you won’t ever be satisfied and will constantly push for more to make sure the potential success of the business is never limited.

There’ll be times when you’ll be frustrated at the lack of progress and annoyed that Pace gets the best of you at the expense of other very important things in your life. There is no ‘off switch’ – it’s all-consuming. You will need to work hard to find time for yourself. And remember to celebrate the wins – avoid the temptation to look ahead rather than savouring the joy of the moment. No matter how small the win is, you must stop, take stock and appreciate it.

In a decade’s time, you’ll have so much to be proud of – you’ll have built a thriving agency which has bred some amazing talent and provided a career launchpad for so many; created brilliant work with countless delighted clients; and provided a livelihood for Pace team members present and past… and there’ll be a very active Pace alumni community, suggesting that lots of valuable friendships have been formed over the years.

So: strap yourself in, as you’re in for one hell of a ride during which you’re going to laugh a lot but also rely on resilience that you don’t yet know you have. But above all else, you will not once regret it and you’ll be continually pinching yourself with disbelief and sheer joy that after dreaming about it for years, you really did it. 

Love

Anita x

 

Happy 10th birthday Pace (and a big, big thank you to everyone who’s been a part of those first 10 years!)

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