In March 2022, I got the dreaded two lines on the test.
Despite feeling rough, I was able to carry-on doing a little work from home. But, I had to cancel several meetings and client visits. As someone who enjoys variety in work and being out and about, the enforced lockdown proved challenging. I was fretting about missed client opportunities and rescheduled meetings……which only added to the low I was feeling from the Covid.
And then, something happened. I stopped worrying about what I was missing out on and made a conscious decision to embrace the space that opened-up, not just in my diary……..but more importantly, in my head.
I had been thinking about a rebrand of my HR services business for a while. But, I had been struggling with ideas and the direction in which I wanted to take my business. I couldn’t get inspired or create any meaningful energy.
I realise now that I needed to create an emptiness in my head, which is what my bout of Covid did. I needed to shift out all the frustration and the worry….and just sit on my sofa with an empty mind. And suddenly, the ideas came flooding in. Within hours, I had a new name, a bunch of website copy and a set of company values. Riber HR was born.
I took the name Riber from the village (not too far from me) in the Peak District. As a keen cyclist, I know this place well…..and the pain required to get to it! It’s a ride up one of the most demanding cycle climbs in the country. It’s got a special place in my heart because it takes a lot of grit and determination to get where you want to go, but you feel like you’re on the top of the world when you make it there (a bit like my business and the other businesses I give HR advice to).
I have a strapline for my approach to HR consultancy, Changing Work and Workplaces. That’s what I’ve been doing for the past 25 years since starting my career in HR……and that’s what I’ll be doing lots more of in 2023.