Nangle Natters: R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Recently I was having a chat with my godmother. As I was never confirmed I like to pretend that she still carries the can for any ethical or theological hiccups I encounter. We also just like to have a chat.

We were having a ‘state of the nation’ catch up and I told her how proud I am of her for running her own successful business. “I’m not sure if it’s that successful,” she muttered, batting off the compliment.

“No,” I argued, “it is successful. It is respected by everyone who employs you – they come back time and time again.” And then I realised that that is my measure of respect. How well something or someone is respected for what they are or do.

These days scraping a living is something of a Krypton Factor challenge, with many people self-employed and constructing a mish mash of jobs and ventures to reach the requisite income to keep body and soul together. It’s something that can also be something of a marvellous adventure – especially in this neck of the woods where the creative minds whirr constantly on overload, with great ideas popping up at venues and on new websites frequently. It’d be an interesting figure to find out who has set up and who has contributed to Kickstarter ventures in this city, in relation to the average numbers across the rest of the country.

These days scraping a living is something of a Krypton Factor challenge

We like business curiosity. I admire the boldness to try and bring big ideas into reality. And there’s a history of it right here – from Marc Abraham’s brilliant PupAid to Summer stalwart Paddle Around The Pier, the pop-up marvel of The Warren every Brighton Fringe, and Brighton comedy landmark Komedia. At some point someone had a wild idea – and made it a reality. And I respect that so very much.

Which is why it was nice for me to realise that the cornerstone to success, to me, is personal fulfilment and a respect for that. I don’t mean simply self-employment, but doing what you do to the best of your ability.

My godmother thought about it for a moment, and then seemed to settle into being happy with that. I respect her. Her clients respect her. And she respects herself. Who could ask for more?