Henry May spent his childhood playing with LEGOs. He loved the outdoors and harmless mischief. He thought his life was pre-ordained. He thought our paths are set for us.
This all changed the summer he joined Teach First. The two years he spent here, changed his thoughts on the education system and his role in the world.
After his time at Teach First, and a short stint at Procter & Gamble, Henry took a trip to Colombia through Teach Colombia and fell in love with the country. But he also heard horrible stories about the public schools there.
These were the driving forces that pulled him to leave everything he knew in London and to start CoSchool in Colombia.
In this episode Henry talks about why well respected jobs aren't always right for us, why good ideas take time to develop, and why you need to stop waiting and put your ideas into action.
Respected Jobs Aren't Always the Best For UsIf you ask most people what they want out of life, one thing they will mention is a good career. They want a safe job at a well established company. They want stability and security. But that doesn't mean a job at a well respected company is right for everyone.
That's exactly what Henry found out while working at Procter & Gamble. While most people would be overjoyed to have a job at a company like P&G, Henry found it frustrating.
"It was such a different world from this real life, hard hitting world of being a teacher in a school in South London. To then be found in an office talking about selling razor blades, nappies, shampoo. I just couldn't connect with the deeper purpose. I really respect an organization like Procter & Gamble for the success that they've had, for the benefit that they bring to the world... however I found it very frustrating to see so many intelligent, capable, caring people there who were using all of that talent and all of that brilliance to sell 1% more shampoo than their rivals."
Just because a company is a good business, that doesn't mean it's the right fit for everyone. Sometimes our hearts just aren't into it.
"Ultimately that's the bottom line in an organization like that. They do a great job of developing people, and growing leaders, and making some fantastic business people, but I was a mismatch in terms of where my heart was."
Sometimes Good Ideas Take Time to DevelopIn the modern age, we want things to happen instantaneously. We have been conditioned to expect instant gratification. But sometimes good ideas take time develop. Sometimes we need to think things over before they can become a reality.
That's exactly what happened to Henry. His dual passions for Huracan FC and CoSchool were on completely different journeys, but after thinking about it for a few months, the ideas converged.
"They were separate dots on... different journeys of my life that didn't make a connection immediately. There wasn't intentions. It took a process of reflection and iteration, and three or four months initially of thinking 'Am I going to focus on the Huracan foundation? Is that my thing? Is that what I am going to do? And eventually CoSchool was born out of this process of stopping."
We're always in such a rush to get our ideas off the ground that we don't give them time to breath. That's why Henry advises aspiring entrepreneurs to spend some time thinking about their ideas.
"I think that if there's something that I learned from that, there's something I share with other people, with friends who are thinking about doing something entrepreneurial, the value of stopping and stepping outside of the white water, not just for a day or for a week, I mean I did it for three months. I gave myself the time and space to think, to explore, to consider, to evaluate, to analyze. I think out of that space, was the birth of probably my greatest moment of creativity."
[Recap for Episode 91] Creativity vs. Natural Inspiration, Stealing in Art, Taking Chances, and Learning from Your Mistakes – Cracking Creativity Episode 91
92: Nick Gray on Turning Your Hobby Into a Business, Standing Out in a Crowded Market, and Being a Leader
91: Erik Young on Creativity vs. Natural Inspiration, Stealing in Art, Taking Chances, and Learning from Your Mistakes
[Recap for Episode 90] Chalky White on Asking What If, Being Persistent, and Never Giving Up
90: Chalky White on Asking What If, Being Persistent, and Never Giving Up
[Recap for Episode 89] Victor Yocco on Tailoring Your Message, Finding Support, and Having an Effective Website
89: Victor Yocco on Tailoring Your Message, Finding Support, and Having an Effective Website
[Recap for Episode 88] Shawn Coss on Being a Popular Artist, Defining Your Success, and Business Being Hard Work
88: Shawn Coss on Being a Popular Artist, Defining Your Success, and Business Being Hard Work
[Recap for Episode 87] Derek Miller on Creative Action, Having Positive Mindsets, and Not Getting Down on Yourself
87: Derek Miller on Creative Action, Having Positive Mindsets, and Not Getting Down on Yours
Katie Hornor on Sharing Your Gifts, Respecting People, and Defining Success
[Recap for Episode 85] Ron Dawson on the Power of Stories, Putting in the Work, Learning on the Fly
85: Ron Dawson on the Power of Stories, Putting in the Work, Learning on the Fly
[Replay] Colin McCann on Productivity, Taking on an Ambitious Project, and the Power of Beliefs
[Recap for Episode 84] Brett Michael Innes on Adapting to Your Situation, the Power of Mentorship, and Not Giving it to Fear
84: Brett Michael Innes on Adapting to Your Situation, the Power of Mentorship, and Not Giving it to Fear
[Replay] Natalie Kim on Choosing Yourself, Being Vulnerable, and Dealing with Mixed Reactions
[Recap for Episode 83] Cebo Campbell on Putting Everything Into Your Work, Taking Your Time, and Striving to be the Best
83: Cebo Campbell on Putting Everything Into Your Work, Taking Your Time, and Striving to be the Best
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