Don't get angry with your dad… his advice will put you on an unexpected road to success
HRM Homecare Services MD Lynn Laughland writes a letter to her younger self
Dear Lynn,
You’re 16, sporty and studious. And you are determined to succeed in life. Well I’m here to tell you that you will do just that – but in a way you couldn’t possibly imagine!
Right now you will be preparing to take your standard grades at Greenfaulds High School, Cumbernauld. You really love your sport, you’re at the local sports centre virtually every day doing loads of sporty things – but you are not a big fan of school. Stick in there, it will be worth it.
And relax a bit. You will be disappointed in your standard grade results, but hey, you will get the grades to get you into university. Believe me, you will have a lot more studying ahead of you, that will prove to be a far greater help to your life and career.
Your eyes are firmly on the future, you’re driven. You will consider social work as you are a real ‘people person’. But your dad Ian will have none of it. He will think that far too woolly an option. Don’t be angry with him. You will get a degree in applied biology from Glasgow Caledonian University – and this path will be so important. It will hone your analytical skills, perfect for when you come to run a business, which you will.
You mum Jean will be your confidante. You will continue to speak to her all the time about family, your business, everything. You will appreciate the love and support she will give you every day and this in turn will give you all the life skills you need to have the best relationship with your kids. You won’t understand that now, but you will.
You will get married and begin work in hospital labs – but you will decide to leave your job when you are expecting your first child. You will feel caught at a crossroads but don’t worry, it will be the right thing to do. It will be time to start putting your ‘people person’ skills to good use.
You will start working as a college lecturer at Ayr College and Central College of Commerce teaching students about science, social care and hospitality. At last you will get the chance to move closer to that early ambition to be involved in social care. Life will be hectic, a mixture of work, finding childcare for your now three kids all aged under five – you will be tested to the limit. I have to warn you now. But you’ll develop skills that will prove you have what it takes to succeed. Stick at it, you will find your path to a bright, fulfilling future.
That future will be running your own business. The lightbulb moment will come when you go into college after maternity leave and another lecturer is taking your class. It will show you that you do not have any control over your working life. Use this to drive you forward on to bigger and better things – the future will be much brighter if you do.
You will set up HRM Homecare , with the HRM coming from your inspirations, children Heather, Russell and Mhairi. Initially you will focus on hiring out baby equipment, helping a neighbour with her care needs and also setting up afterschool care through a council grant. This might sound like a small step to a teenager with big ambitions, but it is a rung on the ladder that leads to bigger and better things.
You will get your chance to focus more on care when mum Jean tells you that the industry is about to undergo a major change. Thanks to your experience helping your neighbour, it will seem a natural step to pursue this further.
It will be a steep learning curve, but your analytical skills will help you break things down to bite-sized chunks. It will be tough building and running a business and being a mum. I’m not afraid to say that to you, but what’s even more important is you will find a way to get through it. Your resilience is one of your greatest strengths.
Lynn Laughland as a teenager in the 1980s
By now you will have two staff working in your living room. This is the scary bit – things are about to get real as you move into your first offices in Prestwick. Savour that moment, and make sure you remember to get that picture of you with your mum and children there, it will be one you will always treasure.
You will be working so hard your kids, now at school and afterschool, nickname you ‘the late Lynn Laughland’ as you will sometimes not be on time to pick them up – don’t worry, even the nursery staff forgive you for this!
One key piece of advice, it may sound boring, but remember to get approval for your business from Strathclyde Regional Council before it is disbanded. This will be hugely important, as it means you will registered to provide care to local authorities in that region, the cornerstone of your business.
Keep battling for women in business. You will head back to university to study more to get a real grip on the care industry. Do not be put off being the only person from the private sector in your classes.
You will feel the urge to pass on all your experience to the women-owned business community. Keep doing that, helping others, providing office space and financial assistance for those who need it. It will be one of the most fulfilling things you will do.
You know that yearning you have to travel and see the world? Just you wait, you’ll fulfil that and more; the splendour of Lake Taho in California, Lake Como in Italy – in fact you’ll travel around that amazing country a lot thanks to Mhairi who will study there. She will also be in Spain for eight months, so you will see that beautiful country too.
Finally, the most important lesson you will learn is to surround yourself with great people, they will help you to work hard, but also have fun and feel like you will be making a difference.
So remember as you sit there in that classroom in Cumbernauld, your greatest asset is you. You will go on to prove yourself more than you could possibly imagine, as a caring mum and a woman in business.
Yours, Lynn