They say you should never work with children or animals… but what about your better half? In our launch issue, we meet 2 driven, passionate brave bods who are doing just that - and loving it. Rachael and Dean Bentick from Inlighten are refreshing and inspiring. As a business team they have a contagious energy and drive and whilst chatting to them it became very clear to me that they’re doing what they want and loving what they do.

I’ve always believed that we are here for a good time, not a long time, and building a life filled with what and who you love is something I’ve always aspired to do. Sarah Wall’s article explores how from a career point of view, you can do just that.

I’ve also spent some time reviewing what differentiates people who get what they want in life. One thing is their ability to set and stick to their goals. Easier said than done? Well, it doesn’t have to be! Explore the tips below to make great goals happen.

I hope you enjoy our first e-zine!

Best of life,

P.S Please send any feedback and brave ideas to me at: belinda@bravecoaching.com

Setting S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Tangible) goals is just the beginning…

1. Get Real. Think about how you have worked with goals in the past. Do you tend to set goals too high and not achieve them? Consider setting goals that are a little easier, and work upwards from there – success does breed success! Do you tend to set the bar too low? Stretch yourself a little. The achievement will be even sweeter.
2. Be Brave. Most people underestimate what they can achieve over a long period of time. It’s important to be realistic when setting goals, but focus on what it is you want to CREATE. What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
3. Get a pen. Goals are much more effective when they are visible to you. Write them down, loud and proud and keep them somewhere you can see them. A study on Yale graduates in the 1950's, showed that only 3% had written down their goals for the future. These graduates went on to achieve much of what they had originally wanted, and had a net worth well beyond that of the 97% of their class mates who didn’t set goals – combined!
4. Be flexible. Be willing to try different things. There will be many ways to get what you want, so explore the alternatives and be open to thinking differently about how your goals can be achieved.
5. Chunk big goals down. It’s hard to know where to start when your goal seems REALLY big. So break your big goals into smaller, more manageable goals. Smaller goals are much easier to conquer and you will be surprised at the momentum you will create.
6. Picture it. Our brain works in pictures. When setting your goal, get as clear as you can on exactly what it will look like and feel like when you have it. What exactly do you want to create? Change? What will be different? Create a clear picture. Better still, get out your scissors and crayons and make it come to life. Pictures are much easier to remember and more inspiring!
7. Present tense. When you write your goals, state them as if you have achieved them. This makes the goal more powerful. “I have increased profit by 30%” is better than ‘I will increase profit by 30%’.
8. Get regular. As the very famous philosopher Rachael Hunter once said – It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen. There are very few true cases of ‘overnight success’. Even the fastest growing companies and most respected business people report years of focus on their goals. Achieving your goals requires regular focus and attention. It’s important to regularly evaluate your progress and keep the momentum going.
9. Have fun! Goals don’t have to be chores. Celebrate little wins along the way.
10. Tell Others. Make it hard NOT to achieve your goal. Tell your partner, a colleague, your family. There’s no better way to make it feel REAL. Who knows, they may even support you...

You can find more content on our website: www.bravecoaching.com

Remember it’s Jeans for Genes Day on Aug 4. Don your fave denim digs and raise money for a great cause. Last year, over $3.4m was raised. Support research to help find causes and cures for some of the serious congenital conditions that affect thousands of children each year. www.jeans4genes.com.au

We’d love your feedback so that we can make Brave New World as relevant, useful, inspiring and interesting as possible! If you have any ideas for future features or articles, or any thoughts on how we can do things better, we would love to hear from you. Send your e-mail to contactus@bravecoaching.com

Rachael and Dean Bentick have always been in business together. It was Dean who recruited Rachael to work behind the bar in a Sydney pub in 1996. 10 years later, they are married, have a pug named ‘Chippy’, and have built a thriving photography and advertising business. They have won a swag of awards for their work and have a stable, loyal base of clients. This dynamic duo are evidence that you really can mix business with pleasure…

Company Name: Inlighten Photography and Inlighten Advertising
Brave Bods: Rachael and Dean Bentick
Industry: Commercial and Wedding Photography and Advertising
Staff: 9
Years in operation: 4

B: Can you give a brief rundown on how you formed Inlighten?

Rachael: Dean had been working as a photographer for 10 years and decided to start his own business. I started helping out by doing the books at night and the business grew to a point where I needed to join full time. At the same time the advertising agency that I was working for was closing down, and I was able to continue working with a few of our clients, so we thought it was time to give it a shot ourselves! I created the advertising arm as the cash generator to fund the growth of the photography business. Now, that business has grown and the share of turnover is about 50:50.

B: Was there a defining moment when you first started the business?

Dean: I’d have to say it was when we moved from a warehouse to a shop front and employed our first staff member. We had always intended to grow the business, through building and growing a brand, but this was the point where we decided to jump in, boots and all. Since then, the business has just powered. In our first year we photographed 30 weddings and this year we will do 130.

B: Were you nervous about going into business together?

Rachael: Not as nervous as we should have been! We became more nervous as we entered the growth stage and were forced to manage the cash flow as the business grew.

B: What are the 3 things that you’re most proud of?

Dean: Probably the fact that we work really well together as a team. Also, the fact that we’ve built our business on delivering great service to our clients - word of mouth plays a key role in what we do, so we focus on delighting our clients. I’d say the other thing is that we have worked hard to create the systems we need to operate well, so we can focus on creating a great environment to work in.

B: What’s the hardest thing about working with your partner?

Rachael: Remembering to have a personal life. It’s also easy to forget that you can’t take feedback (or criticism!), personally. That’s sometimes a hard one for me..!

B: What role have coaches or mentors played in your professional lives?

Rachael: We have two friends, Tom and Jane who are incredibly smart business people, and a couple who built an extremely successful business together. They’ve been great mentors to us. They’ve always shown a real interest in what we’ve been doing and constantly challenge us, which is great. We’re been fortunate enough to spend time with them, learning about best business practice.

B: Inlighten has been recognised for excellence in wedding services – you took out the Inner West Business Awards for wedding services 2 years in a row and you also won the last NSW Champion of Champions business award for wedding services. What are your goals for Inlighten in the next 3 years?

Dean: Our immediate goal is to establish best practises in wedding photography in Sydney. Once we achieve this, we’re planning to implement the system interstate and then in the US. We’ve got a research project in the US planned for later this year. There are definitely some exciting opportunities for Aussie photographers over there.

B: Lastly, what are your 5 tips for success (if you can agree on them?)

Rachael and Dean: 1. Be passionate. 2. Whatever your field, LOVE what you are doing.  3. Surround yourself with good people. 4. Spend time getting the systems right. 5. Focus on the financials. 6. Have 6 top tips and extend your boundaries.

www.inlighten.com.au

By Sarah Wall

Have you ever had the Sunday blues? Most of us can probably relate to feeling a little less than enthusiastic about returning to work on Monday as the weekend draws to a close, but for some people, 'Sunday-itis' can become much more than that.

If you don't enjoy your job, the negativity you feel can affect every other aspect of your life, from your health to your relationships and general wellbeing. I should know - I spent a year employed in a job I wasn't happy in, and was often reduced to tears on Sunday nights at the prospect of facing another week of work.

On the whole, and perhaps from an outsider's perspective, my life looked pretty good. I was young and in good health, with a loving partner, great friends and a relatively well paying professional job. Unfortunately, the 50 hours a week I spent travelling to and working in that job were the bane of my existence. I found it hard to respect the company I was working for, didn't enjoy the work I did and, as those teary Sundays attested, spent much of my time away from work feeling miserable about the fact that I would eventually have to return to it.

If none of this sounds familiar to you then perhaps you're one of the lucky ones - chances are you've been fortunate enough to have determined what you wanted to do with your life early on, then worked towards that goal in jobs that you've found both stimulating and rewarding. However others of you are no doubt nodding in recognition, having suffered from 'Sunday-itis' yourselves.

Spending a third of your life engaged in something you aren’t enjoying doesn't make a great deal of sense, and fortunately I managed to find the courage to leave my job, and to begin again on a different career path. The good news is, if you're similarly despondent about your working life, it's never too late to determine to make changes for yourself, and setting new goals for yourself and then working to achieve them is sure to ultimately make life a lot happier and more rewarding. 

There are several steps you can take in order to clarify for yourself what it is you really want to do:

1. Become a list maker - Write a list of things you enjoy doing, as well as a list of things you're good at. Consider every aspect of your life in doing so; for instance, do friends tell you you're a good listener? Perhaps people have raved about your cooking before, or praised your organisational skills. If you're a parent then no doubt you're a good negotiator, in addition to being adept at time management. Apply the same lateral thinking when it comes to things you enjoy doing, no matter how basic they may seem - chatting with people, shopping, spending time outdoors and reading the newspaper are all requirements of different jobs.
2. Talk and network - Analyse your lists then look for jobs that would make the most of these skills and passions. You might find it helpful at this stage to talk to a careers advisor, or simply talk to as many of your friends and acquaintances as you can about jobs they do themselves or know about. If you think you're interested in a field, aim to find someone who is employed in it, then meet with them for a quick chat about how they got started, what their job entails etc. Don't be shy - most people will be flattered you've approached them, and more than happy to help.
3. Create a road map - Once you've established where your real interests lie, and what you think you might want to do, it's time to work out how you're going to get there. Do you need to return to study? Will you need to cut back on aspects of your lifestyle while you're working to achieve your goals? Rework your CV at this point too, and get someone else to look over it. A coach or advisor might be able to help you in establishing your intermediate goals, in order to eventually realise your ultimate goal.
4. Be patient - While this is hard to do, it's important to be realistic about the time frame it may take to achieve your dream job. Above all, don't despair if not everything goes your way initially - simply focus on achieving your smaller, easily 'do-able' goals, and in the end you will be rewarded.

Sarah Wall is a (usually happily employed) sub-editor and freelance journalist. She currently lives in Fiji, where she's on leave from real life and Sunday-itis, working in catering for a British reality TV show.

Brave Coaching is an energetic organisation passionate about unlocking and developing potential. We provide powerful and empowering business, personal and team coaching services to individuals and organisations.

Brave Coaching offers a no-obligation, trial coaching session either in person or by telephone. Simply e-mail us at trialsession@bravecoaching.com  and we will contact you to arrange a time convenient to you!