When Justine Sellman went through a series of massive life shifts, she found herself craving independence and financial security. Medical issues and a divorce led her to walk away from her previous life and start anew. Thus Logic Recruiting was launched and the Harrogate, United Kingdom-based entrepreneur has been running her digital recruitment agency ever since. She manages a team of experienced professional who help individuals in the technology sector find the right jobs. Today Sellman takes pride in seeing how far she has come on her journey, from living out of her car, to running her own business, and helping her clients find the right career and life path for themselves.
Chung’s story, as told to The Story Exchange 1,000+ Stories Project:
What was your reason for starting your business?
At the age of 45 I wanted to be able to think about having financial independence. I believe this can only really be achieved by being self employed and working hard to ensure that the profit you make is your own and can be invested in order to keep growing and help realize the dream of retiring early with financial security. I’m grateful for my circumstances in my life now which mean that I could have the option to do this. I know it means more hard work but doing it for yourself is enough encouragement and all the inspiration I need.
How do you define success?
My definition of success is living my best life right now. My life over the last seven years has been full of huge fundamental changes. My positive mental attitude towards life has meant that I never gave up, I relied on my resilience and remained optimistic. I’ve always worked hard but now I’m able to really focus on building a business in a very competitive market, but what’s important to me is that I do this with real genuine integrity by simply being myself.
Tell us about your biggest success to date
My biggest success to date was in 2014 when I had an incident in the hospital which resulted in my kidney being cut out by mistake by a trainee surgeon, It left me fighting for my life and as a result my life changed forever. It led to my divorce and I was back at the start, carving out a new career and life for myself after walking away from everything with nothing and living out of my car. Now I can look back and see the progress I’ve made starting my own recruitment company and helping others. I remain strong and persistent knowing that I can help people change their future by genuinely getting them to live their best life and enjoy their careers in technology.
What is your top challenge and how have you addressed it?
Balancing work and life is a challenge as running a new start up means you have to apply all your free time to making it successful. However, rather than see it as a negative challenge I prefer to think of it being more a positive challenge as I’m building my own business from scratch so this can only be a good thing!
Have you experienced any significant personal situations that have affected your business decisions?
There has been very little hesitation when deciding on my business decisions. It’s easy to say it’s now or never, but the truth is now is the best time of my life and it’s only going to get better! I’ll never let my past dictate my future.
What is your biggest tip for other startup entrepreneurs?
Don’t listen to that doubting voice in your head too much. Make sure any unanswered questions are answered. You will only really know if you give something a try.
How do you find inspiration on your darkest days?
I call my twin sister for a chat and a giggle, or go find something that makes me laugh. I’m one of the lucky ones who doesn’t allow their thoughts to go down a dark path. I have learnt over the years that focusing on the things that makes you happy and turning away from things that make you sad is a good daily practice to have.
Who is your most important role model?
I have two important role models. My twin sister is my first. She is my balance and my other half. She gives me strength when I need it the most, and she does this without realizing she’s doing it. Being a mirror twin for me is the best feeling in the world. My most important role model is my partner Martin. He has stood by me and believes in me. His outlook on life is incredible, his patience and approach to handling any situation, personal or business is inspiring to watch and I’ve learnt a lot from him.
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