To mark International Women’s Day, we sat down with Precision Sourcing Founder, Jill Ryder, to talk honestly about the realities of starting and leading a business.
From launching Precision without a grand master plan, to navigating the early challenges of running a company on her own, Jill reflects on the lessons she’s learned along the way. In this conversation, she shares candid insights on leadership, self-doubt, the pressures many women face balancing work and life, and the advice she would give to any woman thinking about starting a business today.
What Made You Start Precision?
I’d like to say there was a big shiny master plan behind starting Precision Sourcing, but I’d be lying. I was excited to create something of my own and not answer to anyone. I’d worked in recruitment for seven years, I’d been in Australia about a year, and I didn’t have children yet so the timing felt right.
Early challenges running a business?
I was confident that I was a strong recruiter and leader, but I was so naïve about owning and running a business, which of course is a completely different skill set. The biggest surprise was the feeling of isolation. I had no peer or manager to ask for advice or bounce an idea off. The self-doubt, or “voices” as I call them, came pretty loudly at times. Was I good enough? Would I fail? Maybe that imposter syndrome drove me to be more successful, but it was pretty draining.
The other thing about owning a business before hiring staff is that you are never off and you have to wear a lot of hats. I remember being in Tasmania with my parents. I was keen that they had a good time, but I was strung out and grumpy because I couldn’t get a signal.
Being a Woman in Business.
It’s well documented, and it is still hard to juggle trying to be a good mum, partner, daughter, friend and run a successful business. Even with a supportive partner, women do tend to take on a greater workload at home while still trying to do everything else. Sometimes this has got on top of me and I haven’t got the balance right. I don’t even know if that’s possible.
I do know that you can’t do everything. If you have the means, outsource what is easily outsourced; cleaning, errands, etc. At work, delegate where you can. If someone else can do it, let them. Don’t hold onto things because you can do them faster or better (guilty as charged!!).
Many women are more caring, empathetic and nurturing than some male counterparts which are all great qualities, but maybe many women leaders can care too much.
In the early years, I spent many sleepless nights agonising over tough conversations I might have had with staff members, replaying conversations and worrying whether I’d said the wrong thing.
I’m not suggesting you should set out to purposely upset someone, but if someone is uncomfortable because you’ve given honest feedback or set a boundary, you don’t need to carry that. You are also not responsible for another adult’s happiness or success. It is impossible to try to control a grown adult’s thinking or emotions.
The shift for me was accepting that my role should not be to rescue or fix someone or try to manage how they feel. My job is to facilitate their improvement, but they need to make the change for themselves.
What I’d Say to Any Woman Starting a Business.
I’d get a mentor if you are starting up on your own. I wish that I had.
Don’t romanticise owning a business or working for yourself. It is great fun and rewarding, but it is also much more stressful than being an employee. The buck stops with you. You are ultimately responsible for people, cash flow, getting paid, sorting out issues… no one is coming to rescue you. Make sure that is 100% what you want.
For new leaders, don’t take everything personally. For the most part, things in business aren’t personal, even though it can feel that way. Easier said than done, I know.
On International Women’s Day, I don’t think the message is that women can “have it all” perfectly balanced, all the time. I’m not sure that’s realistic. What I do believe is that women are capable of far more than we often give ourselves credit for. If you’re thinking about starting a business, a new role or stepping into leadership, you probably won’t ever feel fully ready.
Do it anyway.
