Keeping your head up when the chips are down can be tough, but resilience is a learned skill and a valuable asset for entrepreneurs. Liz Riley talks to three members in business about how they stay resilient
Just as the pandemic was easing and talk of an upswing in the economy had begun to lift spirits, the Ukraine invasion prompted fresh concern as rising inflation sparked speculation of impending recession.
The uncertain outlook is a worry for everyone, but perhaps more so for business owners now tasked with revisiting strategic plans and rallying their teams to adapt to changing circumstances.
Former Dublin footballer Bernard Brogan co-owns two businesses. PepTalk has developed workplace wellness software and Legacy Communications specialises in PR and sponsorship.
For Brogan, the pandemic hit hard and fast in early 2020. “Legacy Communications is in the sports PR business, and the world of sport closed down for the guts of a year due to the pandemic. We had a real challenging time there,” Brogan says.
Colm Davitt, founder of Dental Care Ireland, also encountered difficulties in the weeks following the announcement of the first Government lockdown in March 2020.
“We suddenly had no income or cash flow to meet our financial commitments. We had to lay off almost all our staff within a matter of days, which was very difficult,” says Davitt.
For Sharon Cunningham, CEO and co-founder of Shorla Oncology, meanwhile, the onset of the pandemic presented her with the “biggest challenge” of her career to date.
Cunningham had co-founded Shorla in 2017 in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary, to develop new cancer treatments for women and children. The sudden standstill in international travel brought huge disruption for the business.
“There were delays associated with the US Health Authorities’ ability to travel overseas to complete our outsourced facility’s inspection, which ultimately delayed product approval,” explains Cunningham.
“It was the biggest challenge of my career and required careful stakeholder management.”
Best foot forward
Despite these challenges, all three Chartered Accountants found the strength to push through, protect their businesses, and plan ahead.
While the pandemic was a setback for Dental Care Ireland, not once was Davitt tempted to close up shop. He knew the company could come through the other side.
“I was able to draw on my experiences from the 2008 recession to take decisive action. We had to lay people off in mid-March 2020, we started to re-hire in early to mid-May, so they were off for about two months,” he says.
Brogan shares the same sentiment. “The Legacy team got together, we put our heads down and we hustled. It’s a word I use in sport, but it’s what we did,” recalls Brogan.
“We hustled to create opportunities in different spaces. We worked on different COVID-19 plans and we fought through. The team showed massive resilience getting into the trenches together.”
As Brogan sees it, team resilience like this is earned over time. “You need to have trust and clarity. It’s really important, especially in times of challenge, that everyone is clear on what the challenge is, where we are at, and the opportunities that can follow.”
For Sharon Cunningham, resilience in the face of the deepening pandemic came down to changing course quickly and decisively.
“Shorla faced tough challenges in terms of how we adapted the way we conduct our business activities,” she says.
“Embracing innovation and accelerating our digital transformation journey, particularly in sales and marketing, has positioned us for success in the new normal.”
No matter what challenge a business is facing, communication is ‘everything,’ says Cunningham: “We make a big effort to communicate what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, and why we’re doing it. This ensures we stay focused on our vision and mission.”
Building resilience
While resilience may sound like a millennial term for ‘getting on with it’, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines it as much more.
According to the APA, resilience is: “the process and outcome of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences—especially through mental, emotional, and behavioural flexibility, and adjustment to external and internal demands.”
The pandemic, the war in Ukraine, spiralling inflation and the threat of recession—all pose potential challenge. According to Lynsey Hanratty, however, what really matters is how we respond.
A business and life coach who works with female entrepreneurs, Hanratty says that resilience can be learned with practice and dedication.
“Go back to basics. Are you getting enough sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition? Are you hydrated? Are you taking the time to get organised for the week?” asks Hanratty.
“If the basics are working, you are in a better place to face any setbacks that come your way. That’s not to sound trite or to simplify a complex situation, but it’s a start on the road to resilience.”
People who have overcome difficulties in the past are more likely to be resilient in their response to new challenges.
“The people who suffer the most setbacks are usually the most resilient, because they have developed coping mechanisms to deal with their setbacks and traumas,” says Hanratty.
“Learning from failures and mistakes instead of berating yourself for making them in the first place is a good start on the road to resilience. However, being willing to accept and tolerate a situation and work from there is also a great place to start.”
Davitt understands this well. “I worked through the last recession from 2008 and, by 2012, I honestly thought it would never end. For several years, it was a constant cycle of cost reduction and restructuring and at one point in 2012, there wasn’t too much positivity around Ireland,” he says.
“Thankfully, by 2013, things did gradually start to improve and move to a more positive note. The onset of the pandemic was massively challenging and quite stressful. However, as in 2008, we remained calm, came up with a plan and worked really hard to protect and save the company.
“I feel the whole experience made us closer. Clear, objective, and regular communication throughout this time was critical. We have some very loyal and hard-working team members as a result.”
Turning point
Brogan believes his own resilience was cultivated during his years in football, and recalls a significant turning point during his career with the Dublin team.
“It was during a training game the Thursday before the match. The ball was kicked to me, and I went up to get it and I came down and ruptured my cruciate ligament… In my head, that was the end of my career. I thought I’d never play again,” he says.
“I was absolutely devastated. We were on a big journey – the Dubs were after winning three [All-Ireland Championships] in a row and we were on course for history. I was trying to do my bit for the team.
“So, I made the decision: ‘I’m not done. I’m not finished yet’,” Brogan recalls. “I sat down with Jim Gavin in a hotel up near Dublin airport with a calendar and we counted back the weeks. I said, ‘If I get the operation this date, I’ll be five months on this date and coming into a super eight game. I can do this.’
“I circled the date of that game. My target was to get back for that game—five months and a couple of weeks.
“When I look back on it now, I’m kind of surprised I responded like that. I changed my mind in a day – I’m not going to lament on this. I’m not going to let this drag me down. I’m going to try to get back and get positive and get after this.
“After the operation, I hit the gym with physio James Allen every second day for five months and got back out on the pitch against Roscommon on that day I had circled. It was only for five minutes – half dragging the leg – but I got back out.
“To get back out running in Croke Park in front of 80,000 people, for me, is everything. I turned it around to make good decisions. I got back,” he says.
Brogan’s story is a masterclass in resilience, not just in sports, but in life and in business. With enough practice, patient and dedication, resilience is a skill anyone can learn.