If it came down to one single reason why my start-up failed, it was because I did not want it in the first place.
It was not my idea to have a start-up.
In fact, when I was running it, I called myself “the accidental CEO”.
And since it was not my dream to run a Virtual Assistance agency, I did not have enough follow through to fulfil its mission.
It’s kind of a long story how a start-up landed on my lap.
It all began when I met “BN”.
BN is a bitcoin millionaire, a young Gen Z American who founded the start-up I ended up calling my own. Prompt Assist was BN’s idea, the whole thing was his idea—I was merely his second in command.
When I began working for him, I interviewed as a writer Virtual Assistant (VA), but I was hired as the Human Resource Manager. In a matter of weeks, I became his Chief Operating Officer.
And then BN had a family issue which was in conflict with Prompt. So, he handed the reigns to me, without a moment’s doubt.
Of course, I did not know how to handle it. I felt clueless and incompetent.
Enter a very competent person who I thought was perfect for the job—but actually was not because her personality and mine clashed.
Next came budgetary concerns, and that was the ultimate killer of my business.
When I faced these two major challenges, I was driven into a crisis point.
I had to decide what to do: I argued with myself. I asked myself the big question, the only question, which needed answering, really.
“Do you really want it, Melany Heger?”
“Do you really want to run your own business? How is this going to fulfill your dreams in life?”
I cannot justify continuing with Prompt Assist (my start-up’s name). I had to shut it down because it departed from my “why”.
Why am I putting effort in my career in the first place?
I want recognition, I want respect, I want stability, I want a gradual, gentle growth. I want to work in a place where I am supported as an individual. I want to rely on other people’s strengths because I can’t do it on my own.
The needs I described above do not fit the job description of a CEO.
Sorry—really, I was not really cut out for the job.
And so, I gave it up. I moved on.
I’m currently trialing for a job. A job, which would better support my needs and wants. It’s not my dream job, but it’s a step towards where I want to go, who I want to be in the next ten years of my working life.
Wish me luck.
The featured image on this blog was AI-generated by me using free tools, namely ChatGPT, Canva, and Leonardo AI. I use these images to support my written content creatively and cost-effectively.
