Have you ever climbed high to touch the sky, only to fall flat on your face?

๐—›๐—ฎ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚ ๐—ฒ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—ฐ๐—น๐—ถ๐—บ๐—ฏ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต ๐˜๐—ผ ๐˜๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฐ๐—ต ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐˜€๐—ธ๐˜†, ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—น๐˜† ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—น๐—น ๐—ณ๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜†๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ ๐—ณ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ?

Like chasing stars and catching dreams, adventures teach you both the breathtaking heights and views as well as the profound abyss and mysteries of life’s rollercoaster ride.

During a recent hike in my home country Switzerland, it became as crystal clear as an Alpine stream: the hiking adventure reminded me of the self-employment journey of the 6 last years working as a RECRUITER and Agency – Co-owner of WIPS, a boutique recruitment agency for the luxury hospitality industry & UHNWIโ€™s.

I am ready to share some rocky truths about this experience:

โ›ฐ In the first year, I felt frustrated.
โ›ฐI failed to secure a big account; a VP said I was too young and inexperienced.
โ›ฐI have now taken my first real vacation after 6 years of being self-employed.
โ›ฐOften I work 7 days a week.
โ›ฐI didn’t achieve the target I had set for myself in the first 3 years.

Why would anyone share this?
Because many only see the end results of dedicated hard work.

Being a self-employed recruiter in a still male-dominated industry is no cakewalk. Among many things, you have to champion:

โ›ฐUnexpected challenges
โ›ฐEvolving recruitment trends
โ›ฐConsistent relationship building
โ›ฐRound-the-clock availability for partners and candidates
โ›ฐNegotiating contracts, sometimes with biased Executives
โ›ฐSelf-motivation (No one pats your shoulders)

One momentum of victory is just a snapshot in the grand adventure.

โ›ฐSetbacks are part of the journey.
โ›ฐPressure is a constant companion.
โ›ฐWorking with diverse people is an ongoing learning curve.
โ›ฐNavigating unexpected situations comes with the territory
โ›ฐKeeping the agency on track is an ongoing effort.

Next time you think someone’s journey was a walk in the park, remember: their path is far from over.

Success is an ongoing trek, and what you see is just a glimpse of their journey.

Pause, reflect, and ask:

How well do we truly know each other’s stories?