Rowyn – Self-Employment Explorer

🌿 The Story of Rowyn

Once upon a time, in a woodland filled with winding paths, ancient trees and little hidden clearings, there lived a young woodland companion called Rowyn.

Rowyn was curious . . .

He is imaginative, determined and full of ideas.

But Rowyn had never been particularly fond of being told what to do.

Attending school, there had often been instructions that didn’t quite make sense.

Then at work, there had been expectations about how things should be done.

“Rowyn is our curious explorer, learning to trust their own strengths, ask questions and find the path that feels right for them.”

Sometimes Rowyn knew exactly what he wanted to say, but couldn’t find the words quickly enough, Sometimes he needed more time to understand something.

At other times he understood perfectly well - but just needed someone to explain it differently, Often when Rowyn struggled, people made assumptions . . .

“ They’re not ready ”

“ They don’t understand ”

“ He needs to gain more confidence ”

“ Perhaps self-employment isn’t for him ”

. . . But nobody had stopped to ask Rowyn an important question :  " What would you like your working life to look like ?? "

Eventually Rowyn reached a crossroads . . .

One morning, Rowyn stood at the edge of the woodland, There were several paths ahead . . .

One led towards employment.

With another towards learning.

Another towards self-employment.

While there was a fourth path that didn’t have a sign at all.

Rowyn looked at them all and said : “I don’t know which way I’m supposed to go.”

Then, after a pause, Rowyn added : “Maybe I should work for myself. I hate being told what to do.”

Some advisors might have immediately started talking about Start-Up loans, while others might have gone through the pro's & con's or risks of self-employment.
Others might have asked whether Rowyn was ready as he didn't have a business plan & cash-flow forcast

By chance Rowyn met the Woodland Family, And something different happened . . .

Nobody chose the path for Rowyn . . .

🦡 Bramble listened.

🦉 Moss helped Rowyn see things from another perspective.

🐿️ Fern helped find different ways of approaching a problem.

🦔 Thistle reminded Rowyn that it was okay to take things slowly.

🐰 Hazel encouraged Rowyn when confidence wobbled.

🦊 Alder showed that there can be more than one route to the same destination.

🐦 Pip carried little messages between the woodland companions.

Gradually, Rowyn began to discover something important - The purpose of having someone beside you wasn’t to tell you where to go . . .
Inclusive self-employment mentoring - Is to help you understand the choices in front of you.

To help you recognise your strengths.

Giving you useful information.

Helping you ask questions.

Making space for uncertainty.

While reminding you that changing your mind is allowed . . .

Rowyn’s journey . . .

Rowyn’s exploration isn’t really about becoming self-employed - That’s important.

Rowyn’s journey is about moving from : “Tell me what I should do.”  to  “Help me understand my options.” - And eventually to :

“I know what matters to me, and I can decide what I want to do.”

Sometimes that might lead to self-employment - Other times it might lead somewhere completely different . . . And that is okay.

Because Rowyn’s success isn’t measured by which path they choose.

It’s measured by whether the choice becomes their own . . .

Why Rowyn is at the centre of Celtrose . . .

Rowyn represents the person at the heart of the mentoring relationship.

Not a problem to solve, Nor a generic business plan to complete, Or somebody who needs to be made to fit a particular process just to tick a box . . .

But a person with their own experiences, strengths, aspirations, choices and possibilities, And that’s why Rowyn walks through the woodland with the others.

The Woodland Family don’t walk in front of Rowyn, They don’t pull Rowyn along . . .

Importantly they don’t decide where Rowyn should go.

They walk alongside . . .

Rowyn - The Explorer

“Rowyn reminds us that the journey belongs to the person walking it. The role of a mentor  is not to choose their path, but aiding them to explore the possibilities, helping with understanding their choices and find the confidence to decide for themselves.”

And I think Rowyn’s little motto should be :

“ There isn’t just one path ”

And then, at the very end of the course, we can bring Rowyn back to that same crossroads.

Only this time, Rowyn isn’t standing there waiting for someone to tell them where to go.

Rowyn looks at the paths - Looks back at the Woodland Family - And says :

“I think I know which way I want to explore” - And Bramble smiles . . . Because that’s the point . . .

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves”
Viktor E. Frankl