Ann: US Expansion Plans Temporarily On Hold, page-30

Thank you, Guys! I appreciate your support.

This whole thing, with the current management of the company I founded, has been just another unexpected challenge and profound opportunity for growth. I am not the same man today as I was just two weeks ago, let alone two months, two years, or two decades ago. And I praise our almighty God with all my heart and am sincerely grateful for the lessons. What a ride!
I would have preferred that my request for a position back on the board of directors of the company I founded be quite a bit less bumpy. It has not been a boring freeway journey, that's for certain. More like a speedway, motocross and enduro race, all in one. And somewhere along the enduro track, I stopped asking: Why?
But I’ve come to understand that why isn’t always answered in the moment. Sometimes, it’s only with distance, self-reflection, and grace that the reasons reveal themselves.
And I will tell you, I needed the lesson!

I am ok with however this turns out, but I am going to do whatever I can to ferret out the issues as I see them. They poked the wrong bear!

An all-too-common paradox was evident from the beginning.
Individuals who innovate, challenge the norm, raise the bar, and actually create the path are often the first to be ridiculed, dismissed, or even sabotaged. Why?
Because pioneers don't just bring new ideas, they bring disruption. They challenge comfort zones. They expose mediocrity. And they make it impossible for others to keep coasting under the radar.
Rather than rise to the benchmark, many find it easier to attack the person who set it.

This is especially true in where:

• Insecurity masquerades as leadership
• Ego overrides vision, and
• Preserving control is more important than driving progress.

As we are all aware, Tall Poppy Syndrome is alive and well in Australia and ensures that those who dare to rise above are quickly cut down. Not because they have done anything wrong but because they've done what others wouldn't or couldn't. They shine too brightly in rooms built for shadows.

But here's the truth:
The pioneer isn't arrogant - they're convicted.
They're not difficult - they're driven.
And they're not disruptive for attention - they're disruptive because that's how change happens.

Pioneers make people uncomfortable they are a living reminder of what's possible - and what others chose not to pursue. That discomfort is often met with ridicule, resistance and even revisionism. But God has a funny way of setting the record straight.

I will come back tomorrow with my opinion on a way forward. But I will say that first up, the questions asked need to be answered.