This is the story of one of the most inspiring female entrepreneurs of South Africa, Catherine Young. She is the founder of Thinkroom Consulting, Managing Partner at Grindstone Accelerator and Grindstone Ventures, and Partner at Knife Capital. In her own words. “This is my entrepreneurial journey, the lessons that tested me, and the moments that reminded me why I chose this path.”
Thirteen years ago, I left corporate. Not because I had a perfectly polished business plan, but with a slow burn in my gut that told me I couldn’t keep living life by someone else’s rules. I still think it was a somewhat crazy idea. But, it has been my crazy idea for more than a decade now, and I can honestly say that I would rather worry about pipeline and cash flow than be trapped in a system that does not match my personality and who I am. Because it’s World Entrepreneurs’ Day, I find myself looking back on my origin story and journey as a founder.
I am embarrassed to say that when I started, I had no detailed vision of what my journey would look like. My goal was simple: if I could deliver 20% more impact than where I had been, at a 20% better cost, I could make it work. I just knew I wanted to do things differently from the corporate world I was leaving behind, whilst being forever grateful for what I learnt from my corporate career. That was my entire business plan. From there, I built from the relationships I already had, not through cold sales channels, but by solving real problems for people I knew.
That first month taught me more than any MBA could. I thought I had my first opportunity locked in. I trusted the client, did the work, and waited for the purchase order (PO) to follow. Which of course never came. The work was taken, and the payment never arrived. I was told, “I hope this is your first lesson”, and it was. I made no money that month. I was a little panicky after that. But I bounced back, and I am grateful for the lesson. And anybody working with me today knows I am now a stickler for not commencing any work without a signed PO. And not even that is a guarantee.
If I could sit down with my younger founder self, I would tell her to keep it simple, that less is more. Smaller is better than bigger, and not everyone will get it, and that is okay. You are not here to win a popularity contest. You are here to do the work. Validation is for parking tickets.
I have never been driven or affected by fear. It is not an emotion I relate to in business. But what I have learned and what has affected me is the weight of responsibility. The decisions I make can affect jobs, livelihoods, and people’s futures. With responsibility comes a drive to keep learning and improving, especially in areas that challenge me. Some days that responsibility feels heavier than others, but at the same time, it feeds my soul. But I have always believed we all have a role to play in changing the world, one change at a time.
Imposter syndrome? Again, because of my love for learning I truly believe there is very little we cannot learn. So, you only should be an imposter for as long as you have not had time to catchup on learning the thing that makes you feel like an imposter. But in fairness, I do feel some anxiety in the very technical knowledge gaps, like deep tax or deep legal. Most of the time, I can wing it, drawing on experience and common sense across different areas, but when it’s deeply technical, I can’t. I’ve learned to be honest about what I don’t know, and instead of letting it hold me back, I use it as fuel. I am also very comfortable to own up to the things I don’t find interesting. That becomes a superpower. I use it to figure out what I don’t know, and then I go and get to know it or declare I don’t want to know it. That is how I managed to let imposter syndrome change from being a limitation to becoming fuel.
When I began, my drive was about escaping corporate and gaining a sense of freedom. Now, my drive is about creating structured purpose within that freedom. Success for me today is seeing happy people around me. And by happy, I mean we trust each other enough to work through the hard times, along with celebrating the good ones. True success is when the key people I work with are growing, financially rewarded in a way that reflects their value, with a shared sense of purpose and work ethic. Things are not always easy, but because I surround myself with adults who show up as adults, I am content in the chaos and excited about the unknown. The people I work with truly do put their soul into everything that they do, so how can I not?
If you are burnt out right now, I want you to know you can stop and recuperate. Take three days. Turn everything off and sleep for the first day. When you wake up, eat well and drink water, then write down everything that is consuming your mind. Objectively ask yourself which of those worries are real and which are your mind playing tricks. Most of it will probably never happen. Then look at the inevitable things, the ones you absolutely cannot avoid. Find ways to cope with those and focus your energy where you can make a difference. On day three, choose one small thing you can fix. Do it. Then build on that momentum.
Every inspiring entrepreneur’s story has its share of burnout moments, but it’s how you respond that defines you.
I’m often asked if the networking and ecosystem events are worth it. My short answer is yes. They are so important, but not in the typical networking cliché as such. What really matters more is being part of the circle, hearing the messages, and understanding where the market is headed. Being seen as truly asking questions, learning, and contributing to the conversation is what matters. Networking doesn’t work in the way that you walk out today and close the deal tomorrow. But, if you consistently show up, over time, people notice your consistency and the fact that you keep on keeping on. That is when networking works. You get as much from the network as you give to the network.
There are small actions that you can take to be just one percent better each day. It is the small things, not the big ones, that define our future. It’s about discipline much more than about motivation.
When things get tough, my morning routine keeps me grounded. I wake early. I read. I write for fifteen minutes, whether it is journaling, poetry, or scattered thoughts. The next forty-five minutes I meditate, catch up on light reading and prepare mentally for the day. That first hour is mine. It sets the tone for my day.
There have been moments where I felt I had “made it.” One stands out: buying into a business doing under a million in revenue, and within three years growing it to twenty million a year. It reminded me that with the right focus, almost anything is possible.
In closing, being a founder is not about perfection. It is about resilience, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. It is about being vulnerable. It is about being happy with being human. So, from one human to another, one founder to another, one female entrepreneur to another, there is only one way, and that is through.
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