Every business owner understands what it feels like to lose. No high-reaching successes in entrepreneurship are won without a few crushing failures along the way. 

Tina Comrie had one of those days not long ago. An unexpected blow thrown into a delicate situation. The first thing she did was send a message into her EO forum group. Within minutes, she was on the phone with another business owner, someone who had experienced a similar challenge in the past, and had a few immediate ideas about what steps she could take first. In that moment, having a trusted, knowledgeable advocate right there meant everything.

And that’s what EO is all about for Tina. “I would have gone through the seven stages of grief,” she explains, “But instead, I had tangible answers and a plan within minutes.” 

A true support system isn’t just there to celebrate your successes; they’re on the phone with you when you’re at your worst.

Business leadership isn’t a linear journey

Tina was only 25 years old when she started experimenting with the idea of being her own boss. She was working for pennies on an indie magazine, and wanted to leverage her skills further. A bit of freelance writing on the side quickly turned into a PR and early-era social media business. But like many young business owners, she was reluctant to take on the help she needed. With no business plan, and no clear direction, the business eventually fizzled out.

After 10 years in the media world, however, the desire to run her own operation surfaced again, and she co-founded MediaJam. This time around, Tina had learned from her early mistakes, and the agency took off successfully. In 2020, just as the pandemic was hitting and the world was turning digital in a massive way, Tina established The Attention Agency. 

“The timing was so right,” she explains. “It really taught me that just because you fall once or twice, it doesn’t mean you’ll be a failure.” Timing, learning from previous missteps, and keeping an open mind allow you to capture those mistakes from the past – and grow because of them.

From the outside, The Attention Agency has been a smashing success. Consistent growth, an A-list team, and an impressive portfolio of clients have made it one of New Zealand’s most renowned social media agencies. But this forward momentum has been built from improvements and learnings at every step. Tina says, “You learn the most when things go wrong. Having a wobble in a client relationship shows you where you can do better next time. Recruiting the wrong person for a role gives the chance to fix it. Mistakes happen all the time, and the first feels crushing. But when you get past them, you just become more adept.”

Life as a business owner

“Balanced with difficulty,” is how Tina describes the constant juggle between work and life. “I haven’t stuck it right quite yet, but I’ve learned a lot along the way.”

The first hard-won lesson has been understanding the importance of prioritising her own energy. “If my cup isn’t full, I can’t fill other people’s.” Establishing routines has been a huge part of keeping the balance healthy. Tina builds freedom into each day, carving out time and space for walks, time in nature, and moments to recharge. 

While nailing the life-work balance remains a challenge, Tina has fully embraced the fun, adventurous, and social opportunities that come with being a business owner. And that’s where EO has been game-changing.

The power of EO

After graduating the Accelerator programme, Tina joined her EO forum at the start of 2023. More than just being a phenomenal support network of “your closest allies and confidants,” her forum is a huge part of her own development as a business owner and a leader. 

“They challenge you, and ask you questions you would never ask yourself,” she says. “You hear about experiences and perspectives you never would in other areas of your life.”

The power of EO is getting access to ideas, to people, to events and ways of thinking you can’t get anywhere else. And that’s what makes you effective in your professional world. Tina has spent years learning and improving at every new challenge and hurdle – EO has given her the tools and the support to exponentially grow and thrive beyond those experiences.