Beyond the stereotype: Ghada Sousou’s strength and grace

She decides the balance every morning

Not once, as a policy. Every morning. She wakes up and decides what the balance is going to be for that day, and then she does not allow any of the guilt to seep through. Founder and mother of two, and that is how she holds it.

Discipline is not something you wake up with

She was firm about this. Discipline, grit and resilience are incredibly important and none of them arrive fully formed. She said she has never come across an entrepreneur who has not gone through cycles.

The Global Financial Crisis happened, her clients struggled, and the business went from boom to bust. She said it plainly, without dressing it up as a lesson.

The bit where she used my own line back at me

I said something about not doing the easier thing when you know you can push yourself. About ten minutes later she said she was going to use it.

That was quite a moment for me and I am still a bit embarrassed about how pleased I was.

Ghada said something I want to remember. Why would I do the easier thing when I know I can push myself.

She laughed and said she was going to use it. I’d said it to her about ten minutes earlier, which was quite a moment for me.

It’s a good test for anything you’re avoiding.