Tools for the journey
At the age of 32, Debra Searle has launched two companies, been awarded an MBE, and battled against great odds to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She's also faced challenges common to many of us, like bereavement, separation and loneliness, and has found ways to overcome, gain strength, and face life with confidence.
Debra shares with 'Looking at life' some of the lessons she learned on the journey.
Finding a job is often very challenging…but it obviously doesn’t compare with crossing the Atlantic single handed! Are there any lessons you learnt during that adventure that could help land-locked job hunters in their struggle to find a career that they can excel in?
I think that a crucial element to finding the right career is starting off with the thing you’re really passionate about. At school, expeditions were the thing that interested me and made me feel alive. If you’re passionate about something you try harder and consequently you will get better results. Out in the Atlantic I was often in the most horrendous conditions, but in the toughest moments I was still doing what I love, and it helps you get through.
Everyone knows what they love doing, but often people think they can’t make a career out of it. You might love walking dogs but you think a proper job means working in a bank or being a lawyer. Don’t lose sight of that thing that makes you happy, because my experience is that you can get there eventually.
What motivated you to set up two companies in your twenties?
I was working as a PE teacher when my Father died of cancer. It caused me to take a big step back and think ‘am I doing what I want with my life, and being challenged?’ I was passionate about art, so I set up an online art gallery. I made loads of mistakes because I knew nothing about business!
When I started my second company I had come back to what I loved, i.e. adventures. Quite early on I had to admit to myself that I’m not good at running every element of business, and I couldn’t be successful by myself. Now I have the best business partner, my twin sister. We each have very different skills, but by putting those skills together, we have what it takes. It’s important to surround yourself with the right people.
How do you keep the dream alive and aim for a fulfilling career when the outlook seems bleak?
Much of my voyage was frustrating. Often my goal seemed like a long way away. When I most felt like giving up, I would run this movie in my head: I was arriving in Barbados, and I would see my family waiting at the quay side. I would imagine each person in turn, adding detail and colour, sounds and smells. It gave me back the hunger to keep going. On that boat I was doing jobs I didn’t want to do, but they were getting me where I wanted to be. It won’t always be perfect, but in every job you pick up new skills.
I’ve heard that your motto is ‘choose your attitude’. How would you put that into practice, say in a job interview?
I start each day by choosing a specific attitude (negative ones are banned!). I say it out loud to myself, for example "Today's attitude is one of optimism". Then I make myself list out loud all the things that I could be optimistic about. For example I would say things like "maybe I'll row more miles on this day than I have on any other day", or "maybe I'll see some some incredible marine life I have never seen before", and generally by the end of this technique I would feel very optimistic about what the day might bring. So often you can't control your environment, the people around you and what might be going wrong but you can choose how you respond to all those things. There is always a choice of attitude. By focusing on 'Choose Your Attitude' it reminds me to always put my energy into the things I can do something about, rather then wasting energy on the things I can't. I have always found this important to use before a job interview or a big meeting.
I combine this technique with my 'running the movie' technique, but this time it’s like watching a scary movie the second time around. You don’t jump at the scary bit because you know it’s coming, and you’re prepared for it. So I run through the worst case scenarios, imagining every awkward question, and how I will respond. When I walk into the room I have the right attitude and I’ve run the movies in my head so I’m in control of the situation, and this helps me to perform better when it really counts.
Are you doing what you want to do? How do you think you got to the position you are in now?
I’m doing my dream job. I’ve never stopped chasing my dream. I wasn’t put off by other people’s expectations or cynicism, and I think that’s important. When I left teaching I felt like I had my wings freed, I knew that there was more in me that I needed to go and do. However, I don’t regret any of my various jobs. I have learnt so much in each one, and every element is valuable.
I’ve learned that if you always do what you have always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got. If you want a different result, you need to step outside your comfort zone. I could have quit the race when my partner left the boat, but I decided to keep going alone. Each time a challenge came up, like fixing the electrics, I stretched myself and found that when you’ve got to do it, you do it. As a result, I learnt a huge new set of skills. It’s a real rush of confidence. When you do step out of your comfort zone, if you persevere, the zone shifts to where you are and that becomes the new norm.
You’re in your early thirties… what are your ambitions for the future? How do you aim to achieve them?
I’m a goal-driven person, I love setting myself challenges. My new challenge is how to combine motherhood with running a business. I’m proud of the business we’ve built and don’t want to give up on it. I always thought that parenthood would be the ultimate adventure, and now that I’m pregnant my challenge is ‘how do I be good mother and wife and keep running adventures around the world’? I’ve got all the strategies I have learned along the way and I will use them to keep pushing forward.
Debra's new book called 'The Journey - how to achieve against the odds' is available at www.debrasearle.com.
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Written by Rebecca Williams. Posted on 12th June.
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