Christmas Party!
The Bloom Board - 1st Christmas Party
🌸We had our first Christmas party! As we gallop towards the end of 2024, I’ve been thinking about where I was at this point last year. My company Bloom Project Management was barely six months old and I’d been engaged on a significant piece of work for the majority of that time. It was going really well and I was enjoying it. And then, my sub-consultancy agreement came to an end and work that was supposed to stretch into the following April stopped.
I was well managed, I was given notice and it wasn’t a shock, but it was a big wake-up call. It had been a crazy six months and I hadn’t done any business development because I thought there was work in the pipeline. So, here I was at Christmas with nothing lined up for January 2024. I had no security blanket and I had to figure it out. That was the first lesson! Here’s some other things I’ve learned this year…
🌸You’re on your own
As a sub-contractor, you’re vulnerable to sudden changes in situation. It doesn’t matter how good the relationships are – if the work isn’t there, then there’s no work for you. It’s not personal! This was a big learning curve for me, coming from the corporate world.
🌸Other plans carry on…
I’d committed to hosting – and paying for – a networking breakfast in February and the first meeting of the new Bloom board was due to happen early in the new year. I’d asked three relative strangers to invest their time in me and I was worried there was nothing going on in my business to talk about. And all this had changed in just a couple of weeks.
🌸Accountability and support are key
Though I was anxious at the start of the year, the board has given me such focus. We’ve met each quarter and it’s a regular check-in of the risks and the challenges for the business. They’ve given me support and also accountability to ensure the company is going in the right direction.
🌸You need money in the bank
It might sound obvious, but having a proper grasp on your finances is so important and I definitely didn’t have that this time last year. I now have money saved in the bank so that should the worst happen, I have a safety net. And, as a direct result of this experience, I’ve worked hard this year on my network and creating opportunities to ensure I have contracts signed into 2026.
🌸Feelings matter
When I look back, it was actually a hugely positive experience to have that big piece of work as I started my business. It was just the feeling of failure and accompanying vulnerability that hit me hard when it ended. Though it also gave me the determination to be more resilient in the year that followed, because I don’t want to feel like that ever again.
Thank you to my fabulous board Michelle French Steve Smith Kirsty Shearer! Thank you to Breda Ferarrio for your inspiring coaching! Thank you Anna Lazenbury for your support and work this year! And a huge shout out to Stephen Law for enabling Bloom to get out the starting blocks!
Whether you’re actively looking for a project manager or would just like to start a conversation, I would love to hear from you!
Yaeger Irwin is the founder and owner of Bloom Project Management Limited. She is passionate about her work, having spent the last 20 years delivering complex and high-profile projects to a wide range of satisfied clients. Get in touch to find out how Bloom could help with your next project.