I DID IT IN MY PYJAMAS by Angela De Souza

I Did it in my Pyjamas

“No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”     – Eleanor Roosevelt

Very often, I get asked about the rules and “how to’s” of business, such as: How do I build my business? How can I get more sales? How can I make more money quickly? How did you do it? It seems everyone wants the recipe or the map for a shortcut to instant wealth and success. Several people claim that they have the recipe and map, which, for a hefty sum, they will share with you. I honestly believe that there aren’t any recipes or maps and I would go as far as to say that there are also very few rules. This is how I built my business, the Women’s Business Club, and what you are about to read is my ongoing journey with all its ups downs, successes and failures.

When it comes to business, few people ask the right questions. Think about it –  if we all followed a set of rules, there would be no creativity, no innovation, and no fun! Some rules were made to be broken. Odds are meant to be defied. Methods should be challenged. However, some rules must be obeyed or we will end up in chaos. A great business leader will know which rules to break and which rules to respect. I honour the laws of our land, especially parking rules and the speed limit. Apart from the fact that it is dangerous to ignore them, I particularly don’t like paying fines! These are rules that I am not willing to break because I don’t want to bear the consequences of breaking them. Other rules that I particularly like to adhere to is the zero of my bank balance. Messing with the zero and the unarranged overdraft costs bank charges, affects my credit rating, and can lead to a great deal of inconvenience if payments can’t be made. So I don’t mess around with that one either – I stay as far away from zero as possible.

However, I break the rules of the dress code regularly. Many mornings I simply don’t get dressed and work at home in my pyjamas. In winter, I can even be found in bed with my laptop and mobile phone, conducting business as usual. Those who know me also know that I can be found working in the bathtub or on a hilltop. Who says you have to work in an office between nine and five? My best work is done at 5am or 11pm on some days. These are rules that I have no problem breaking and I refuse to conform to the conventional nine to five.

Get your copy of I Did it in my Pyjamas here

And don’t get me started on the traditional business plan! I break most of the rules there and teach others to do so too when their personality type requires me to do so. However, I also teach other personality type business owners how to write a traditional business plan. In a nutshell, I try to do what is best for a particular individual or business and not what everyone else is doing. Lorah-Kelly, my daughter, photographer and owner of the Cheltenham Women’s Business Club, struggled to be inspired by her business plan. Without giving it a thought, I told her to buy a scrapbook and do it scrapbook style. The results were phenomenal; she actually loved every minute of creating her business plan and injected fresh creativity into her business. Why? Because we broke the rules and threw the “recipe” out of the window!

I Did It In My Pyjamas

is my story of how I built the Women’s Business Club from nothing to the national success it is today. I have by no means arrived but write this almost as a travel diary of my journey to share what I have learned and am still learning. This is not a recipe book and does not contain a magic formula for how to get rich quickly. “Seven steps” do not exist, and any numbered list within these pages is simply to make reading a little easier, not to prescribe the exact way to run a business. You are very welcome to add your own points to my lists or disregard points you disagree with. This is my story and I hope it inspires you to write your story in your own way. I did it in my pyjamas. How are you building your business?