By Jodie Nevid
I look back on my childhood with such gratittude. I
was surrounded by love, adventure and a sense of abundance. My
grandparents were business owners both sides so I grew up seeing first
hand just how grand life can be when you follow your dreams and own your
destiny.
Mums dad, my Papa (pictured) was a hero of mine. I say
"was" because we lost him in 2010 to cancer. When he was here he taught
me so much, he was a living example of what you can achieve in life if
you're prepared to take risks, live on the edge of your comfort zone and
walk in the opposite direction to the heard.
Papa gave me eyes that saw the world as one big
business opportunity, a priceless gift for a young girl growing up and
one I will be forever grateful for. Those eyes that gave me the courage
to cut my teeth in business and launch into a retail space at an early
age. Start the business and do the "course" later was my approach, as it
turns out the business was the course - the best type of learning you
can get. Every business or job continues to add a new module to the path
of life long learning.
Papa always said "don’t get a job working for someone
else, create your own job". So when my first true love – clay (as in the
mud stuff) and my obsession with tribal art collided I became a drum
maker. I mean seriously… What else would a tone-deaf, musically
illiterate, barely competent potter do?!
This unlikely niche eventually had us shipping hand
made products across the globe and "living the life of Riely". This
amazing chapter ended in 2009 when life turned upside down for a bit and
I shut down my business. I had to go and get a ‘real job’ for the first
time... age 30 something. Amazingly I managed to land a fabulous job
"meant to be" kind of job... first interview.... hired that day!
Sometimes I think wow I'm soooo lucky, maybe life is a
just a series of flukes and coincidences. I was indeed lucky to be born
into my family, I feel like I literally grew up on the shoulders of
giants. My family gave me eyes that could see possibility and
enough self belief to pursue that possibility. I heard a saying the
other day “seeing is not believing, if you don’t believe you wont see, you must first believe then your eyes will be open to see.”
What a great thought – I think it was Bob Proctor who
said it. I'm pretty sure Papa had a few of Bob Proctor's books in his
book shelf!
