I’m sharing my true motivation with you today, about why I do what I do everyday, with a passion that has no bounds. I believe there are many lessons to be learnt, from this interaction I’ve been having, with a very special and loyal client. It really is about building relationships, beyond just the numbers.

So the story goes…my wonderful client who shared this with me, we’ll call her Ev, needed to find a way to get through some particularly trying meetings. Here’s the first message I received:

Hi Hayley….long complicated story but I have to attend a meeting every second Wednesday. This meeting upsets me tremendously…so I have put myself on a star system. For every meeting I manage to disengage, I earn a star. Five stars equals a new HJ outfit. Got my first star today!! You are really a motivation and motivator!

And every so often I receive these messages.

Earned my second star today…it was THAT meeting again!

Darn…I blew it today. Didn’t disengage and therefore don’t deserve my star……still only on 3 stars! As punishment I have to walk an additional kilometer today as well. Academics are at times just soooo totally out of reality about what goes on in private practice!

Fourth star today…yay yay yay. One more to go then I can come a shopping…!

Got my 5th star today! Yeahhhhh see you soon!

I have loved this interaction because the lady in question is one serious academic, with the most wonderful sense of humour. Interestingly, as funny as this interaction has been, I’ve also learnt a lot from her about turning bad situations into good situations, by attaching a reward. I think if we all started rewarding ourselves for dealing with what really pushes our buttons, we would learn to overcome those situations and possibly learn a whole new coping mechanism.

And then as if Ev hadn’t provided me with enough entertainment, she sends me a photo of her Hayley Joy collection, with this message, ‘Stock taking at my branch of the HJ shop…good grief. I am shocked. No more stars for me….!!’

I am so blessed to have built up relationships with so many amazing women that I dress. And I am honoured that we have this kind of relationship, where we can share our frustrations in life, and establish supportive relationships outside of just selling clothes. It’s this kind of interaction that maintains my faith in what I do, against the odds, of which there are some. Being an Entrepeneur, and being the Boss, doesn’t often allow for frivolous moments, but having established relationships that transcend ‘just business alone’ I am part of much more than just work!!
❤️ Hayley