Today is Halloween, a holiday I’ve never fully understood. Originally a solemn event in the eighth century, it began when Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a day to honour saints. Soon after, All Saints’ Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before, known as All Hallows’ Eve—and later, Halloween—evolved from these religious roots into what we see today: a celebration filled with sweets, trick-or-treating, skeletons, spiders, and spooky tales.
Personally, I’m not one to stay up at night worrying about ghosts or spiders. Instead, as a leader and founder, what keeps me up are my people and the weight of commercial responsibility I carry as a CEO.
There’s a common belief that being self-employed and running your own business offers freedom: no one tells you when to start or stop working, what to do, or when to do it. Yet, on the other side of this perceived freedom is the reality that there’s no true “clock-off” time. For me, being a founder and CEO comes with as much responsibility as being a parent. What keeps me up at night is the performance of the business, meeting the needs of my customers, ensuring our participants are getting value from our programs, making sure my team is happy, and, of course, financial responsibility. Founders and CEOs know that the payroll line is not just a line on the P&L; it’s what pays everyone’s mortgage, rent, and food bills!
What keeps YOU up at night? You don’t have to be a CEO to feel concerned about work, your job, or your life. Are you afraid of making a mistake, of failing, or perhaps even of succeeding too much?
But just as the dark night and haunting figures shouldn’t stop us from enjoying Halloween, neither should the fear of responsibility or failure stop us from stepping forward, putting on our best, and giving it our all.
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