Many people influence our lives, helping us to take scary steps towards our dreams, some giving us a nudge when we need it, and some shaping our beliefs.

I sadly said good bye at his funeral in Bristol last Thursday, to one of the biggest influences in my life, my Uncle Tony. Boy, he was larger than life, always smiling and had the energy of a few racehorses put together! At the wake where we celebrated his life, we all told stories of our happiest memories, and reminisced those special moments.

Wow, he touched and influenced so many lives. Being a very successful entrepreneur, staring out selling fruit and veg to then going on to build multi-million pound companies, he passed on his learnings to us at any opportunity when I was growing up. Uncle Tony was always talking about business at the dinner table, but always made time to get to the dinner table! His family being the centre of his life.

He told us when things were going wrong, as well as when things were going right.

He took risks. He fought. He got up again, and came back stronger.

“Keep going”, he used to say. “Go on!”

He always looked after his friends and treated his staff with such respect and love.

And his words of “thanks a million” always ring so loudly in my head.

So, if one day you don’t think it’s going so well, stop, and give yourself a break. Remember all those achievements you have made along the way, all those different decisions you made, the risks you have taken. All helping you to get where you have got to today. Celebrate them.

Learn from your mistakes and keep going. 

Things always change, you can rely on that!

And learning to build your resilience muscle will be one of the best workouts you can do.

What qualities do you admire from the people that have influenced you and how can you add those qualities to your business life?

To your success and happiness,

Jo James