Words of Wisdom from TheCamel

"People make mistakes. Nobody's perfect." This is probably one of the most used phrases you have heard of. While it is cliché, in reality, it's as true as it can get. As humans, we can't seem to get away from it. Everyone, from the average Joe up to the most successful people have had their fair share of mistakes. 

Let me introduce you to Thomas Edison, the inventor of the humble lightbulb. Before successfully creating the lightbulb, he tested out thousands of materials to make it work. That's a lot of trial and error. You’ve also heard of Michael Jordan, he missed more than 9,000 shots - some of which should have been the game winning shot for his team - before he became one of the greatest. Even today’s richest people like Bill Gates used to present machines to people that ended up not working at the time of the presentation. Oof right?

Still, even when they made those mistakes, through perseverance, they eventually succeeded. But, is that all there is to it? Can mistakes be easily overwritten by sheer determination and trial and error? In a corporate environment where mistakes can cost you a lot of time, energy, and most importantly money, is hard work the best way to deal with it?

TheCamel.co has been up and running for over 9 years now. Just like everyone else, we've had our fair share of errors.

Let me tell you a quick story, I have been with TheCamel for a little over 3 years now. If you read this far and haven't noticed it yet, this blog is a bit different as Shane is not the one writing this. He's had an accident and needs to get all the rest he can get, which means no writing as well. Don’t worry as he’s been cleared by the hospital and is on his way to a full recovery. Anyway, here goes -

I was accepted at TheCamel as a designer. To be honest, I was not a guru in design and I barely even knew how to use photoshop. But still, TheCamel hired me and taught me everything there is to know about the field. As you may expect from a novice, I've made a number of oopsies along the way. My designs were not up to quality, I missed some marks when it comes to edits, and I downright broke a website! Oh the horror I felt when I saw that happened.

Of course, seeing as this is business, I received a lot of verbal beatings (no worries, it’s the family friendly kind of course lol), warnings, and memos along the way. It's not as simple as sorry boss, I'll do better and viola, everything has been fixed. I had to act accordingly and fix the mistakes that I committed, and of course, accept the consequences that followed. 

Pretty standard right? But here's the thing, in all I went through I have never felt total discouragement amongst those mistakes. Why? Because that’s how TheCamel reacts to them. TheCamel understands that along the way, mistakes are bound to happen, especially for someone like me back then who was in the process of learning. They are willing to invest in the team and nurture them to be better. I was never talked to like I will be scratched off the list. It's always “you know why we are speaking to you right? These are the consequences of your mistake. It costs us something, it is unfortunate, but don't let it bring you down. You have learnt something new, use it.“

Why am I telling you this? Well, in every success story out there, they always focus on the "overcome any obstacle” attitude you should have. That it's always no matter the situation, I never stopped, I never faltered. It can't all be down everytime right? Eventually, if I just keep going at it, the wheel will turn and you will reach a higher point, right??

While that's all true, inspiring, and motivating, let's not miss an important part of their story. Their support system. The environment that supported them through those tough times. 

Edison's mother encouraged him during his early years, she lifted him at the stage of where he started to learn things by and for himself. As Edison put it, "My mother was the making of me. She understood me; she let me follow my bent." Jordan, despite missing the supposed game winning shots, continued to be trusted by his team to continuously make them. With Bill Gates, his family kept backing him up too no matter what.

This is what TheCamel does best. It creates an environment where you never feel discouraged despite your mistakes, and allows you to learn and grow further. In this field of work, you can never really truly learn and understand something if you haven't experienced it firsthand. The feeling of making a mistake, and the desire to act and fix it, and finally, a stepping stone that will help you in future. I believe this is what sets the company apart from most corporate businesses out there. The understanding, the drive to nurture and upskill, and the patience to teach. Not everyone is the same, some people can handle mistakes better than others. Some can brush it off and proceed, and some dwell in it for a while. However, having a safe place where you know that you are trusted despite dropping the ball at times surely helps with confidence and headspace.

With me? I am a bit of both. There are times where I can take a breath and move on, and there are times where I get anxious due to my errors. But with everyone's help, I was able to use my experience and aim to be a better employee. Just like what I have mentioned, I have been with TheCamel for a little over 3 years now, and despite my earlier mistakes, I became fortunate enough to be trusted and be one of the heads of the company. 

Do I still make mistakes? Definitely. But what changed? I now have 3 years worth of experience. I have numerous cases that I can use as a reference. I have learned accountability, and responsibility. And what hasn’t changed? TheCamel's attitude. I am still in a phase of continuous growth, and TheCamel supports that no matter what. As a head, I am always aiming to treat my team the same as what the company has treated me always. 

So, if by some chance this question pops in your head "How does TheCamel handle mistakes?" It is through patience, understanding, and teaching accountability and responsibility. There are always consequences for every action, make no mistake about that, but as Bryant Mcgill said "Everything worthwhile takes time, nurturing, and love. When something isn't working, love it more, nurture it more, and give it more time." 

You’ll never know. Maybe that struggling employee that you have now is the next key player that you are looking for. 

Hugs.