WEBVTT - Taking Staff Resignations Personally 0:00:04.200 --> 0:00:07.360 Hi, I'm Britney Saunders and welcome to Big Business, the 0:00:07.440 --> 0:00:10.480 place where business is far from boring. And today I'm 0:00:10.520 --> 0:00:14.120 recording on gadigal Land. Now, I somehow managed to build 0:00:14.120 --> 0:00:17.520 an empire from the garage underneath my house, and in 0:00:17.600 --> 0:00:19.880 Big Business, I'm here to share it all with you, 0:00:20.079 --> 0:00:23.439 from the winds, the huge mistakes, the challenging times and 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:27.040 funny moments in between. So, whether you're in business already, 0:00:27.240 --> 0:00:30.080 you're wanting to start, or you're even not in business 0:00:30.120 --> 0:00:32.479 at all and you're just looking for some inspiration or 0:00:32.479 --> 0:00:34.920 you want to hear a great story, this is the 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:38.879 podcast for you. Coming up in today's episode, we are 0:00:38.920 --> 0:00:42.560 diving into a topic that is as real as it gets. 0:00:42.960 --> 0:00:47.839 Staff turnover. Now, if you're anything like me, you probably 0:00:48.040 --> 0:00:51.000 never gave much thought to what it's like when someone 0:00:51.080 --> 0:00:54.600 decides to part ways with your business. But let me 0:00:54.680 --> 0:00:55.240 tell you. 0:00:55.320 --> 0:01:02.080 It's a whole new world, one field with challenges, surprises, 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:05.959 and yes, a few hard hitting life lessons along the way. 0:01:06.440 --> 0:01:10.280 You see, back in my early twenties, rejection would hit 0:01:10.360 --> 0:01:13.960 me like a ton of bricks. I'll admit it, it's stung. 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:17.640 But fast forward to today and running fate has been 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:22.119 one heck of an education in handling rejection, especially when 0:01:22.160 --> 0:01:25.440 it comes to having staff resigned from their roles. It's 0:01:25.480 --> 0:01:28.480 a reality of business that no one really talks about, 0:01:28.640 --> 0:01:31.560 yet we all experience it at some point, and the 0:01:31.600 --> 0:01:34.319 bigger you get, the more you're going to experience it. 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:37.280 And let me tell you, it can feel pretty personal. 0:01:37.840 --> 0:01:42.480 But here's the thing, it's not not even close. Having 0:01:42.520 --> 0:01:44.840 staff come and go is just another part of the 0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:49.720 entrepreneurial journey, albeit it's a tricky one. So in today's episode, 0:01:49.920 --> 0:01:52.840 we're going to unpack it all the highs, the lows, 0:01:53.200 --> 0:01:56.400 and everything in between, because when it comes down to it, 0:01:56.720 --> 0:02:01.960 handling staff turnover is just another lesson in resilience, adaptability, 0:02:02.120 --> 0:02:05.760 and the art of moving forward. Anyway, time is money, 0:02:05.800 --> 0:02:12.600 So let's get down to business. I'm going to start 0:02:12.639 --> 0:02:15.399 this episode with a question that I've had a few 0:02:15.400 --> 0:02:17.840 of you ask me on my Instagram account, and I 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:19.840 guess it's a good place to start for this. I've 0:02:19.880 --> 0:02:22.399 had so many people ask me when is the right 0:02:22.440 --> 0:02:26.400 time to hire that first employee for your business. Every 0:02:26.400 --> 0:02:28.560 business owner, at some point is going to get to 0:02:28.600 --> 0:02:30.520 that stage where they feel like they need to make 0:02:30.560 --> 0:02:33.120 their first hire, especially if you've started it yourself and 0:02:33.120 --> 0:02:36.960 you're doing all the groundwork. As for me, I knew. 0:02:37.040 --> 0:02:39.280 I think you, like Kath and Kim say, you just 0:02:39.320 --> 0:02:42.359 feel it in your orders when you need to hire 0:02:42.400 --> 0:02:46.200 that first employee. For me, my first employee, I hired 0:02:46.480 --> 0:02:49.720 kind of as just like a general assistant, and I 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:52.880 hired her as a casual employee because I was so 0:02:53.000 --> 0:02:54.959 scared that I wasn't going to have enough work for 0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:56.880 her to do. And mind you, this is when I 0:02:56.919 --> 0:02:59.960 had started Fate, and it was underneath the garage, underneath 0:03:00.120 --> 0:03:04.880 the garage. No, it was in the garage. It was 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:07.600 in the garage under my house. And I was also 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:09.959 doing all my influencing at this time, and I'd been 0:03:10.000 --> 0:03:13.000 managing myself doing that for years, and even then I 0:03:13.080 --> 0:03:15.080 was scared, even though I had all these brand deals 0:03:15.120 --> 0:03:17.240 I was doing that she could have helped me organize 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:19.880 with the emails, and she was going to be helping 0:03:19.880 --> 0:03:22.000 me pack all of our orders, I still had that 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:25.480 fear and worry that I wasn't going to have enough 0:03:25.520 --> 0:03:27.880 money to pay her or I wasn't going to have 0:03:28.000 --> 0:03:30.840 enough work for her to do. But when it comes 0:03:30.840 --> 0:03:33.760 to making that first hire, you'll know yourself that you're 0:03:33.800 --> 0:03:37.800 ready for it because you will feel completely stretched. And 0:03:37.840 --> 0:03:40.200 with the financial side of hiring someone as well, you 0:03:40.320 --> 0:03:42.560 also want to make sure that your business is in 0:03:42.680 --> 0:03:45.360 a good financial point and you've got a decent cash 0:03:45.360 --> 0:03:48.200 flow coming in every week so that you can afford 0:03:48.440 --> 0:03:50.600 to pay that person. So that could even be a 0:03:50.680 --> 0:03:53.400 question for your accountant. It's hey, can we look at 0:03:53.400 --> 0:03:56.160 our numbers? Do I have enough money coming in that 0:03:56.200 --> 0:03:58.760 I can afford to pay this person? And what I've 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:01.320 found as well is as as it is to hire 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.560 that first employee. Trust me, I know the feeling all 0:04:04.600 --> 0:04:08.320 too well. When you hire someone new. You can't just 0:04:08.400 --> 0:04:12.440 see it as you're paying them and they are an expense. 0:04:12.720 --> 0:04:15.760 It's actually an asset for your business because that person 0:04:15.920 --> 0:04:18.800 is then going to be able to generate your business 0:04:18.800 --> 0:04:21.479 more money. They're going to take things off your hands. Yes, 0:04:21.520 --> 0:04:23.400 you're going to pay them to do it, but then 0:04:23.440 --> 0:04:25.680 you're going to have more time to do the things 0:04:25.800 --> 0:04:27.840 that are more important, which is going to bring more 0:04:27.880 --> 0:04:30.440 money into your business. So moving on to the juicy stuff. 0:04:30.720 --> 0:04:34.800 Why do employees choose to leave their roles? Well, the 0:04:34.920 --> 0:04:38.600 reasons are as varied as the individuals themselves. And if 0:04:38.600 --> 0:04:41.400 there's one thing that I've learned in hiring so many 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:44.080 people over the years is just how different everyone is. Like, 0:04:44.120 --> 0:04:48.000 we all know that we're individuals, but hiring people and 0:04:48.040 --> 0:04:50.400 working with them will just open your eyes to how 0:04:50.480 --> 0:04:54.960 different we all truly are, from pursuing new career opportunities 0:04:55.160 --> 0:04:57.960 to seeking better work life balance, or it can even 0:04:58.000 --> 0:05:00.200 be as simple as they think your workplace this is 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:03.080 horrible and they hate their job. You can't control the 0:05:03.080 --> 0:05:06.560 way people feel. There's no shortage of factors that can 0:05:06.680 --> 0:05:10.279 lead someone to resign from their position. But let's be 0:05:10.400 --> 0:05:13.560 real for a minute. Staff turnover isn't just about saying 0:05:13.560 --> 0:05:18.400 goodbye to familiar faces. It's about navigating the inevitable waves 0:05:18.440 --> 0:05:21.920 of change that come crashing down on your business. It's 0:05:21.960 --> 0:05:27.200 about adapting to new dynamics, redistributing responsibilities, and yes, occasionally 0:05:27.240 --> 0:05:30.120 feeling like you're back at square one. I had someone 0:05:30.240 --> 0:05:34.760 in my Big Business podcast DMS my Instagram account asked 0:05:34.760 --> 0:05:37.440 me a question the other day, and the question was, 0:05:37.920 --> 0:05:40.400 being in the shoes of your old bosses, do you 0:05:40.440 --> 0:05:43.359 feel bad for leaving some jobs the way you did? 0:05:43.880 --> 0:05:46.320 And that's a great question because That's something that I've 0:05:46.360 --> 0:05:49.279 thought about a lot over the years, especially now that 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:51.760 I'm on the other side. And I'm sure most of 0:05:51.760 --> 0:05:54.080 you would know, especially if you've listened to my first 0:05:54.080 --> 0:05:57.000 episode of Big Business. I had a lot of jobs 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:58.719 back in the day, and I was just on this 0:05:58.880 --> 0:06:03.039 constant hunt trying to find what it was that I liked. 0:06:03.480 --> 0:06:07.200 And admittedly I quit jobs in the worst way possible, 0:06:07.400 --> 0:06:09.359 to be honest with you, I never had a job 0:06:09.880 --> 0:06:15.240 long enough where I really mattered, you know, like I 0:06:15.279 --> 0:06:18.320 never started a career or anything, and then had the 0:06:18.360 --> 0:06:21.039 opportunity to like leave in a really nice way and 0:06:21.120 --> 0:06:23.880 do the handover and send off and all that. I 0:06:24.000 --> 0:06:26.039 was getting jobs and having them for a month and 0:06:26.040 --> 0:06:28.240 then text and saying I quit, or just like not 0:06:28.440 --> 0:06:31.080 showing up at all to like waitressing jobs. I never 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:35.520 really experienced a career. I remember I had one career 0:06:35.600 --> 0:06:37.640 sort of role when I lived in Brisbane when I 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:40.720 was like twenty and I was an assistant to this 0:06:40.760 --> 0:06:44.360 big regional manager. And I quit in the right way 0:06:44.400 --> 0:06:47.200 then because I was moving home to Newcastle and they 0:06:47.200 --> 0:06:49.359 did like a lovely send off and like got me 0:06:49.400 --> 0:06:51.680 a card and everything, and that was really nice. But 0:06:51.800 --> 0:06:54.599 looking back, I never used to give a fuck about 0:06:54.640 --> 0:06:58.240 the way that I quit jobs with my companies. Over 0:06:58.279 --> 0:07:00.120 the years, it's definitely made me look at it in 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:03.480 a different way, and I've done some self reflection and thought, shit, 0:07:04.080 --> 0:07:07.960 I was never once caring about the impact me leaving 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:10.760 would maybe have on that business. And it's like a 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:13.440 weird thing to think about as well, because it's like 0:07:13.480 --> 0:07:16.960 where do employees draw the line with how much they 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:19.280 care versus how much they just want to go and 0:07:19.320 --> 0:07:21.400 live their life. And I still see it that way 0:07:21.920 --> 0:07:24.080 as an owner now, like I would hate for someone 0:07:24.120 --> 0:07:27.280 to just quit their job and not show up the 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:29.640 next day, and like we've pretty much had that happen, 0:07:29.720 --> 0:07:33.160 like people ghost us before. Being an owner. Now I 0:07:33.200 --> 0:07:36.600 can see the other side of how impactful that actually 0:07:36.600 --> 0:07:39.600 can be to a business and the shit that happens 0:07:39.680 --> 0:07:41.920 after that, and how the business has to pick up 0:07:42.240 --> 0:07:44.880 all the pieces of someone just leaving. But at the 0:07:44.880 --> 0:07:47.280 same time, I still think back to my twenty year 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:49.280 old self and when I would just quit jobs, and 0:07:49.320 --> 0:07:53.080 I still get it. So it's a really interesting predicament 0:07:53.120 --> 0:07:54.440 to be in to be able to look at it 0:07:54.480 --> 0:07:57.200 from both sides of the fence. People always say, like, 0:07:57.280 --> 0:07:59.760 your employees are never going to care about your business 0:07:59.760 --> 0:08:02.520 as much as you do. And sure you'll get some 0:08:02.600 --> 0:08:05.720 really passionate employees and they will live and breed the business, 0:08:05.840 --> 0:08:07.800 especially if you're a smaller business. I think it's very 0:08:07.880 --> 0:08:10.480 different if you're working for a huge business, like you're 0:08:10.480 --> 0:08:11.960 not going to care about it like it's your own. 0:08:12.000 --> 0:08:14.240 But when you're the founder and you are working with 0:08:14.480 --> 0:08:16.720 your employees every single day, you are going to find 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:19.640 those people that are super passionate about it and would 0:08:19.640 --> 0:08:22.239 like die for the business and whatever. Not quite literally, 0:08:22.280 --> 0:08:24.520 but you know what I'm saying. But one thing that 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:26.960 I've had to remind myself of over the years, and 0:08:27.320 --> 0:08:29.560 when I've spoken with other friends that own businesses and 0:08:29.600 --> 0:08:31.920 they're having a hard time because someone in their team 0:08:32.000 --> 0:08:35.040 is leaving, it's really hard to not take it personally, 0:08:35.120 --> 0:08:37.200 but you've got to remember. And one thing I like 0:08:37.240 --> 0:08:41.840 to remind myself of is their life is far more 0:08:41.840 --> 0:08:44.880 important than my business, even though my business is everything 0:08:44.920 --> 0:08:47.320 to me and this is my world, like fate is 0:08:47.320 --> 0:08:50.520 my world, but it's not my employee's world. And I 0:08:50.600 --> 0:08:52.720 always I've said that to friends that have said, hey, 0:08:52.760 --> 0:08:54.760 like this girl's leaving, Like what do I do. I'm like, 0:08:54.760 --> 0:08:57.160 you've got to let people do what they want to do, 0:08:57.280 --> 0:08:59.440 because that's all I ever did in life in my 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:02.520 early time is I didn't care what the business thought 0:09:02.600 --> 0:09:04.520 of me. I'd go, I'm quitting because I'm going on 0:09:04.559 --> 0:09:06.400 to the next thing. So that's one thing that I 0:09:06.440 --> 0:09:10.000 am always super mindful of is, yes, we want people 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:12.760 to work for us that are super passionate about us 0:09:12.800 --> 0:09:14.199 and the business and everything, but at the end of 0:09:14.240 --> 0:09:16.360 the day, like their life and what they want to 0:09:16.360 --> 0:09:18.719 do is far more important than that, and I think 0:09:18.760 --> 0:09:21.560 that's what we need to embrace as business owners. And 0:09:21.640 --> 0:09:25.640 here's the thing. Staff turnover isn't always a bad thing. 0:09:26.000 --> 0:09:29.199 In fact, it can be a catalyst for growth an 0:09:29.200 --> 0:09:33.080 evolution within your business. As the old saying says, one 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:36.920 door closes, another one opens. And every time someone does 0:09:37.040 --> 0:09:40.000 leave our workplace, I see it as an opportunity. It's 0:09:40.080 --> 0:09:43.000 not something to get upset about. It's a new and 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:48.160 exciting opportunity. It's an opportunity for new perspectives, fresh ideas, 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:51.600 and diverse skill sets. All of these can breathe new 0:09:51.640 --> 0:09:54.640 life into your business. And as tough as people leaving 0:09:54.679 --> 0:09:57.520 can be, I have learned to get excited by it. 0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:01.280 So as you navigate the twist in terms of staff turnover, 0:10:01.400 --> 0:10:07.239 remember this change in business is inevitable, but growth is optional. 0:10:07.360 --> 0:10:10.320 So we need to embrace the opportunities that come with 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:14.760 each new chapter and never underestimate the resilience of your 0:10:14.800 --> 0:10:21.800 team or yourself as an owner. So let's chat about 0:10:21.880 --> 0:10:24.840 the emotional rollercoaster that comes with staff turnover. I thought 0:10:24.880 --> 0:10:30.320 I would also say I'm not majorly experiencing staff turnover. 0:10:30.600 --> 0:10:32.880 We have had a few. Like we're still quite new 0:10:32.920 --> 0:10:34.800 to business. I've got a lot of staff that've been 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:37.120 working with me for years and years and years. We've 0:10:37.120 --> 0:10:38.959 had a few people come and go over the years, 0:10:39.080 --> 0:10:42.000 and if I'm being honest, we've dealt more with having 0:10:42.000 --> 0:10:47.000 to fire people from their roles than people actually leaving. So, anyway, 0:10:47.240 --> 0:10:49.599 have you ever had a bad breakup, whether it was 0:10:49.640 --> 0:10:53.000 a relationship or even a friendship breakup like they suck? 0:10:53.559 --> 0:10:56.679 I have experienced both of these, and they fucking hurt 0:10:57.160 --> 0:11:01.360 in a weird way. Sometimes having staff resign can feel 0:11:01.400 --> 0:11:03.840 like a breakup in a weird sort of way, And 0:11:03.880 --> 0:11:07.920 I guess this is also dependent on the situation. I'm sure, 0:11:08.000 --> 0:11:12.320 the CEO of Kmart doesn't really care if someone working 0:11:12.400 --> 0:11:16.080 at their local Westfield store resigns, but I guess I'm 0:11:16.120 --> 0:11:19.840 more so speaking from the experience of starting out really small, 0:11:20.080 --> 0:11:22.720 when you're working super closely with all of your employees, 0:11:23.040 --> 0:11:26.000 having them leave can really hurt, and weirdly can have 0:11:26.120 --> 0:11:29.520 you make you question yourself. I've had people leave their 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:31.760 roles over the years, and even if it's been in 0:11:31.760 --> 0:11:35.600 the most positive way and we've ended everything on great terms, 0:11:35.960 --> 0:11:38.000 I've still laid in bed at night and thought, fuck, 0:11:38.360 --> 0:11:41.400 am I even a good boss? Even if they've left 0:11:41.480 --> 0:11:44.680 in the most positive way, I will still lay in 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:47.120 bed at night and go what could have I done better? 0:11:47.520 --> 0:11:49.120 From the moment that you find out that one of 0:11:49.160 --> 0:11:51.920 your team members is moving on, maybe they drop the 0:11:51.960 --> 0:11:55.440 bombshell during a casual conversation, or perhaps you get an 0:11:55.480 --> 0:11:59.200 official resignation letter in your inbox. Either way, it can 0:11:59.240 --> 0:12:01.920 feel like a part to the gut and suddenly you're 0:12:02.000 --> 0:12:06.280 hit with a wave of emotions shock, disbelief, maybe even 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:09.720 a hint of sadness, and those self questioning thoughts start 0:12:09.840 --> 0:12:13.680 rolling in. But here's a thing. It's okay to feel 0:12:13.720 --> 0:12:18.600 those emotions in fact, it's perfectly normal. We are only human, 0:12:19.280 --> 0:12:22.439 after all. These are the people that you've worked alongside, 0:12:22.880 --> 0:12:25.480 laughed with, and maybe even shared a few happy hour 0:12:25.559 --> 0:12:28.880 drinks with. But here's the kicker. While it's okay to 0:12:28.920 --> 0:12:32.480 feel sad or disappointed, it's also important to remember that 0:12:32.600 --> 0:12:35.640 this isn't the end of the world. In fact, it's 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:38.440 just the beginning of a new chapter for both you 0:12:38.640 --> 0:12:41.720 and your team member. So instead of dwelling on the negative, 0:12:41.960 --> 0:12:45.000 try and focus on the positive. Celebrate the time that 0:12:45.040 --> 0:12:47.880 you've had together, the memories you've shared, and the lessons 0:12:47.920 --> 0:12:50.360 that you've learned along the way. I think the same 0:12:50.440 --> 0:12:53.439 thing for breakups too. As shit as they are, they 0:12:53.440 --> 0:12:56.080 are an opportunity. We just really struggle to see that 0:12:56.280 --> 0:12:59.040 in the moment. Now, let's talk about the elephant in 0:12:59.080 --> 0:13:02.960 the room, reject yep I said it. For many of us, 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:06.160 having someone resign from their role, it can feel like 0:13:06.240 --> 0:13:09.440 a personal rejection, like we're not good enough or that 0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:12.720 we somehow failed as leaders. But here's the truth. When 0:13:12.720 --> 0:13:16.640 someone resigns from their role, it's not about you. It's 0:13:16.840 --> 0:13:20.040 never about you. I thought I would also add in 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:23.439 here this is me just speaking from my experience sometimes 0:13:23.520 --> 0:13:26.320 people resigning can be a reflection of the owner if 0:13:26.400 --> 0:13:30.040 the owner has done something terribly wrong. But me, in 0:13:30.080 --> 0:13:32.080 my business, I would never want to do wrong by 0:13:32.240 --> 0:13:36.479 someone or anyone. So again I'm only speaking from my experience. 0:13:37.280 --> 0:13:41.640 People leave for all sorts of reasons, career advancement, personal growth, 0:13:41.880 --> 0:13:44.840 or even just a change of scenery. It's rarely, if ever, 0:13:44.920 --> 0:13:47.680 a reflection of your leadership or your worth as a person. 0:13:47.800 --> 0:13:49.960 I feel like I just need to disclaim They're like. 0:13:50.080 --> 0:13:54.440 It depends on the situation. So how do you navigate 0:13:54.520 --> 0:13:59.240 this emotional rollercoaster with grace and resilience. Well, it starts 0:13:59.240 --> 0:14:03.040 with acceptance, acceptance that change is a natural part of 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:06.840 life and business. I'll actually never forget many many years ago, 0:14:07.360 --> 0:14:10.760 it would have been probably four years ago, I had 0:14:10.800 --> 0:14:12.640 an employee, and this was only when I had a 0:14:12.640 --> 0:14:15.520 couple of employees. I had an employee say to me, 0:14:16.040 --> 0:14:18.440 as we were growing and I was hiring some new people, 0:14:19.040 --> 0:14:22.400 I don't deal well with change, and my eye just 0:14:22.480 --> 0:14:26.680 started twitching in the corner. With business, you have to 0:14:26.800 --> 0:14:30.200 embrace change, especially if you want to grow a business. 0:14:30.320 --> 0:14:32.880 I'll just never I'll never forget her saying that to me. 0:14:33.960 --> 0:14:36.200 I was like, girl, if you don't like change, like 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:38.360 you've got a lot coming for you in life, because 0:14:38.720 --> 0:14:41.200 life is full of changes, and so is Fate. Because 0:14:41.200 --> 0:14:43.560 we were this tiny, little baby and I knew that 0:14:43.600 --> 0:14:45.760 I wanted to grow. The thing other things that you 0:14:45.800 --> 0:14:49.200 have to accept is that you can't control everything, no 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:53.280 matter how hard you try, and acceptance that sometimes the 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:56.000 best thing you can do is let go and trust 0:14:56.000 --> 0:14:59.240 that everything will work out in the end. A funny 0:14:59.280 --> 0:15:01.840 thought that I I have to myself, and there's a 0:15:01.880 --> 0:15:04.800 lot usually when I'm laying in bed at night, is 0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:08.640 about the fact that everyone that I have working for 0:15:08.720 --> 0:15:11.480 me now, like we have sixty plus employees at Fate, 0:15:11.800 --> 0:15:14.240 there's a high chance that one day they're all not 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:17.480 going to work for me anymore. Why are you scrunching 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:21.200 up your face at that. Yeah, it's just a bit scary. 0:15:21.440 --> 0:15:24.800 It is scary. And this is a real, a real 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:28.880 thought to have, especially for us, because we are in 0:15:28.960 --> 0:15:31.800 this business where we're all young. Everyone that works for 0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:34.920 Fate is in their twenties and thirty. Like I'm the 0:15:34.960 --> 0:15:38.080 oldest employee, I'm pretty sure, like I'm the oldest one. 0:15:38.160 --> 0:15:41.200 So it's inevitable that people are going to want to 0:15:41.280 --> 0:15:44.160 change things up. Sure, I'd love to keep everyone that's 0:15:44.200 --> 0:15:46.840 working for me right now, forever and ever and ever. 0:15:46.920 --> 0:15:48.880 But like, how many people do you actually know that 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:51.360 have worked in the one job their whole life? When 0:15:51.360 --> 0:15:53.960 you hire people to you have in your mind the 0:15:54.040 --> 0:15:58.640 consideration that there's career progression for them within Fate. Absolutely, 0:15:58.760 --> 0:16:02.200 and that's one thing that we are huge on at FATE. 0:16:02.680 --> 0:16:07.520 I'm all for career growth within Fate, and the girls 0:16:07.520 --> 0:16:08.880 that are working for me now that have been with 0:16:08.920 --> 0:16:10.920 me for years would be able to vouch for that. 0:16:12.000 --> 0:16:14.720 I would never want to be a workplace where I'm 0:16:14.760 --> 0:16:17.360 just hiring someone and I want them to stay where 0:16:17.360 --> 0:16:19.400 they are forever. Like I'm all for it. Of course, 0:16:19.920 --> 0:16:22.560 growth also has to be earned in a way from staff, 0:16:22.600 --> 0:16:24.880 Like you can't just keep making someone grow if they 0:16:24.920 --> 0:16:26.960 don't want it or they don't have the initiative. But 0:16:27.040 --> 0:16:30.000 I'm huge on growth, and I would only hope that 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:35.080 everyone that I have working with me now can continue 0:16:35.120 --> 0:16:37.720 to grow with the company as it grows. I would 0:16:37.760 --> 0:16:41.080 never want them to leave to go and do something 0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:43.160 else because they felt like they weren't getting anywhere. But 0:16:43.200 --> 0:16:44.880 I think one of the challenges I have as a 0:16:44.880 --> 0:16:47.480 business owner is getting my company to that point where 0:16:47.480 --> 0:16:49.600 I can keep the girls growing in their roles, if 0:16:49.640 --> 0:16:52.640 you know what I mean, such as constant trying to 0:16:52.680 --> 0:16:55.240 grow and people express to us, hey, like I'm interested 0:16:55.280 --> 0:16:56.840 in growing, and I'm like, all right, bear with me, 0:16:56.960 --> 0:16:58.880 Like give me six months and I'm going to try 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:01.120 and make this happen. And I've done that for some staff, 0:17:01.480 --> 0:17:04.640 so it's really interesting. Like I'd love everyone, I'm sure 0:17:04.680 --> 0:17:06.760 every business owner, especially if you've got a great team, 0:17:06.920 --> 0:17:09.000 you want them forever. I want them to be with 0:17:09.040 --> 0:17:11.400 me forever. But sometimes I stop and think, I'm like, fuck, 0:17:11.440 --> 0:17:13.119 maybe one day I'm never going to be working with 0:17:13.160 --> 0:17:15.320 these girls again, like because they're going to be in 0:17:15.320 --> 0:17:17.399 their forties one day and their fifties, and like, is 0:17:17.400 --> 0:17:19.280 fate even going to be a thing? Then, Like, these 0:17:19.280 --> 0:17:22.160 are the thoughts that I have, and it's just really 0:17:22.200 --> 0:17:25.240 weird to think about on this I thought i'd take 0:17:25.280 --> 0:17:28.040 it back a bit. In a previous episode, I spoke 0:17:28.080 --> 0:17:31.320 about setting boundaries and how I refuse to hire friends. 0:17:31.840 --> 0:17:34.119 If you miss that episode, I don't know what episode 0:17:34.160 --> 0:17:36.720 it was, but I talk about my experience with hiring 0:17:36.760 --> 0:17:38.920 friends in the past. It might have been episode two 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:42.280 or three, and how it's just a rule that I 0:17:42.400 --> 0:17:46.439 have now, So let's put ourselves into a scenario. It 0:17:46.480 --> 0:17:49.040 was episode three. I've just got confirmation, So let's put 0:17:49.040 --> 0:17:52.240 ourselves into a scenario. Picture this. One of your employees, 0:17:52.680 --> 0:17:55.520 the one you've bonded with over countless coffee runs and 0:17:55.600 --> 0:17:59.280 office banter, suddenly drops a bombshell that they're moving on 0:17:59.359 --> 0:18:02.600 for whatever. Eat an ouch, right, It's like a dagger 0:18:02.640 --> 0:18:05.360 to the heart, especially when you formed a genuine connection 0:18:05.440 --> 0:18:08.600 with them outside of the office. And I think this 0:18:08.800 --> 0:18:11.399 is where I ran into issues in those early days. 0:18:11.480 --> 0:18:14.760 Is obviously my business was so different back then to 0:18:14.800 --> 0:18:17.400 what it is now. But I was friends with all 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:18.800 of the girls that were working with me because we 0:18:18.800 --> 0:18:20.480 were like a small little team of like three or 0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:23.640 four of us sitting together every day. We became such 0:18:23.680 --> 0:18:26.760 good friends. I became friends with their partners. AJ became 0:18:26.800 --> 0:18:30.560 friends with their partners. And this is where business becomes 0:18:30.640 --> 0:18:34.320 blurry if you have those really personal friendships. And then 0:18:34.359 --> 0:18:36.240 what if one day they decide I want to take 0:18:36.240 --> 0:18:39.159 a different career path. That's fine, Like I'm all for that. 0:18:39.200 --> 0:18:41.080 I'm never going to stop anyone from doing what they 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:43.600 want to do, because that's what I'm all about, Like, 0:18:43.680 --> 0:18:46.520 fucking go, Like if you want to go become a paramedic, like, 0:18:46.560 --> 0:18:48.200 go do it. Like, I'm never going to stop someone 0:18:48.240 --> 0:18:50.840 from doing what they want. But when it's your business 0:18:50.880 --> 0:18:53.280 and then your friends with them, like, it becomes so 0:18:53.520 --> 0:18:56.800 tricky when someone does come to that point of wanting 0:18:56.840 --> 0:18:59.760 to resign. And here's a thing with scenarios like that. 0:18:59.800 --> 0:19:02.879 As much as it hurts, it's important to maintain a 0:19:02.880 --> 0:19:06.680 professional demeanor in times of staff turnover. Sure you might 0:19:06.720 --> 0:19:09.000 want to hug it out or shed a tear together, 0:19:09.040 --> 0:19:11.520 but remember you're still the boss. So it makes it 0:19:11.600 --> 0:19:14.479 an awkward scenario if you're friends, But then you have 0:19:14.520 --> 0:19:17.520 to put on your professional hat in the situation and 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:20.679 handle it with grace and dignity. Now that's not to 0:19:20.720 --> 0:19:23.359 say that you can't show a little empathy along the way. 0:19:23.400 --> 0:19:25.920 In fact, it's quite the opposite. Of course, you're going 0:19:25.960 --> 0:19:30.360 to acknowledge your team member's decision with genuine understanding and support, 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:33.000 let them know that you appreciate their honesty and that 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:36.160 you wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors. 0:19:36.840 --> 0:19:39.840 But here's where things get a little sticky. The dreaded 0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:43.080 what now moment, the moment when you realize that you're 0:19:43.119 --> 0:19:45.920 not just losing a team member, your friendship is also 0:19:46.000 --> 0:19:48.119 going to be different from here on out. And trust me, 0:19:48.200 --> 0:19:50.959 I speak from experience with this. I'm not saying your 0:19:50.960 --> 0:19:54.159 friendship's going to end and that it'll be forever and 0:19:54.320 --> 0:19:57.920 you'll be enemies, but mixing business and friendships will always 0:19:58.080 --> 0:20:01.399 change things within your friendships. And the silver lining with this, 0:20:01.480 --> 0:20:03.720 I guess, is that just because someone leaves your team, 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:06.160 it doesn't necessarily mean they've got to leave your life. 0:20:06.560 --> 0:20:08.960 I will admit that's a really hard thing for me 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:11.800 to do. It's really hard for anyone to learn to 0:20:11.880 --> 0:20:15.959 set boundaries with your staff, especially given our business. Like 0:20:16.000 --> 0:20:18.640 I mentioned before, we are all around the same age. 0:20:18.680 --> 0:20:21.040 Everyone that I work with is my age or a 0:20:21.040 --> 0:20:24.159 few years younger. Everyone's in their twenties, everyone's in their thirties. 0:20:24.160 --> 0:20:26.720 So it's actually so and we all get along really well. 0:20:26.760 --> 0:20:29.720 That's the other thing too, and it's so hard. I've 0:20:29.720 --> 0:20:31.959 even had friends in business say like, how do you 0:20:32.040 --> 0:20:34.720 not become friends with your employees? Like you're working together 0:20:34.720 --> 0:20:36.960