By Tom Lancaster
I had fallen into a job in the film industry, but it wasn’t fulfilling me. I was constantly just one phone call away from packing a bag and heading off to shoot in some random place for a random amount of time. The hours were erratic and long. The work was inconsistent and I would ride the rollercoaster from feast to famine and back constantly.
It had been a deliberate choice, to train in filmmaking so that I could live a life of adventure without having to be a professional sportsman. That was the idea. But then the necessities of life led me down a different path, and I found myself working as a commercials editor, and then an assistant director on feature films.
Now don’t get me wrong, this was definitely an adventure, but I wanted to be making films about the adventure sports I was so passionate about.
The thing is I had no idea what to do, even though I always had an entrepreneurial streak in me. My first ‘business’ was selling cigarettes at school. I would buy 12 cartons or marlboro lights in Dubai for £5 a carton, smuggle them on the plane back to England and sell them at school for £3.50 a pack. It was quite the little enterprise.
Once I graduated with my media production degree, I almost immediately set up my production company, Overhang Productions. I was 25 and convinced I was going to change the world of adventure filmmaking.
And then it got hard. I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t have any support. No-one to bounce ideas off. And here’s the crucial thing – I didn’t seek the support I needed.
I started applying for jobs, to ‘tide me over’ while I ‘got started’ and even though they all pulled me away from what I wanted to be doing, I justified it to myself that I was learning important skills, which maybe I was. What’s really true though, is I was retreating into the known.
“One of the reasons I am an entrepreneur is because I see the world differently to most people. I am a pioneer. A leader. A trailblazer. I’m comfortable operating in the chaos of the unknown, and forging my own path.”
Had I sought out coaching, guidance, mentorship, community, right at the beginning, the next ten years of my life might have taken a completely different trajectory. But I didn’t, and I spent 10 years trying to do it alone.
From writing scripts to self funding short films, to several other ventures over the years; a live streaming business, an aquatic bodywork business, a yoga studio and many more, nothing I did seemed to stick, and I had no-one in my corner to give me a push when things got hard and I wanted to quit.
One of the reasons I am an entrepreneur is because I see the world differently to most people. I am a pioneer. A leader. A trailblazer. I’m comfortable operating in the chaos of the unknown, and forging my own path.
But with this comes a dark side. It often feels like no-one in my life understands me or what I’m up to. This creates isolation and I then create stories about my value in the world based on the fact that people just don’t get it. It can be hard to trust people when we have been burned in the past, and all of this makes it harder and harder to reach out for that desperately needed support.
I have now realised the benefit of investing in the support I need to bring my ideas to life. I have a business partner. I am currently working with 7 different coaches in different capacities. And with that support, I am creating magic. I don’t feel alone. I have had a light shone into the dark areas of myself that I couldn’t see. I am constantly reminded of all the things I do better than anyone else in the world.
We see this in our clients all the time. Desperation for a community of people who just understand what it means to live outside of the normal boxes of life. A community that can see not only what they are already achieving, but more importantly how those achievements are part of a much bigger vision. Some kind of confirmation that what they are up to isn’t just complete insanity. That they aren’t complete failures. A deep need to not do it alone.
That’s why we created The Zenith Project. To be that space for pioneers, explorers, leaders and change-makers to explore the new world they are creating together. To be understood. A place where incredible achievements are celebrated, but where laurels are never rested on. A place to really fly.
Today is the official start of The Zenith Project. If any of this resonates with you, and you are tired of doing it alone, let’s talk. There are still spots available and this could be the most important act of self care you ever choose.
We are here for you. What you are creating is incredible, and needed.
You don’t need to do it alone.