How a Conversation on a Bus Changed the Way I Approach My EO Journey

By Adam Thompson
Former EO President Brisbane Chapter (2019/2020)

I started in EO about 11 years ago when I was in my early 30’s. Back then I was the ‘young one’ and I found myself learning from other members who had many more years of experience in business. It was fantastic for me and my business was growing. However it took another 4 years into my EO journey, and a conversation in a bus with an EO member’s partner, for me to realise that there was so much more to EO that I was missing out on.

It was this conversation that opened my eyes to the role that EO was playing in my life’s journey rather than simply seeing it as a business journey.

At that time, I took the opportunity to join an EO conference immediately after a family holiday. I was on the bus returning back from an after party event and a lady I didn’t know sat next to me and in typical EO fashion started asking some fairly direct questions.

Sofia was the parter of an EO member and the question that had an impact on me was, “Was my wife with me? When I said she had gone home with the kids straight from a family holiday, Sofia’s next question was, “Did you invite her to join you at the EO conference?” I explained we had a young family and that Amanda needed to be home with them. Sofia was insistent however, “But did you invite her to join you? I was still not on the same page as her.

Sofia explained that not having my life partner play a role in EO had the potential to change the dynamics of the learning journey EO was taking me, and if Amanda wasn’t involved her journey was going to be very different.

This discussion with Sofia was a real ‘light bulb’ moment as I realised that by not inviting Amanda to join me on my EO journey was potentially creating a space between us. EO is not just a business journey it’s a life journey and not going on that journey with my life’s partner was a mistake.

Take two and another 7 years in EO, Amanda is fully involved in our shared EO journey. She has played a much more active role in EO and played a part when I was an EO Forum Chair, EO President and now as a member of a Global Portfolio.

That’s what makes EO great, the people you meet, the conversations you have, and the ‘light bulb’ moments that can change your trajectory.

I often think back to Sofia and thank her to switching that light on.