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Starting your own business? You need a validation squad

Changing career in mid-life can be lonely, especially if you’re setting up your own business.

Gone are the sociable days in the office with water cooler chat on tap.

Now you can be at home, sometimes for days in a row, with only your cat and coffee-fuelled anxiety for company.

In these times of transition, it’s obviously essential to get out of the house and meet people.

But not just any people.

What can make all the difference at this point is to find a group of allies who’ll become your validation squad.

As far as I know the idea of a validation squad was created by the famous Broadway choreographer, Twyla Tharp.

To help her deal with the rollercoaster of emotions that goes hand in hand with creating award-winning shows, she relied on a small circle of friends to keep her on the right track.

Twyla’s validation squad helped her cut through the noise and ignore negative reviews. They were instrumental in helping keep her vision alive.

Crucially, they were also honest. If they thought she’d made the wrong call, they told her like it was.

How rare and precious it is to have friends like these in our lives.

So what are you waiting for?

Get out there and find your allies. #validationsquad 

(Also posted at @Psychologies Mag Life Labs Channel #pennydrops)