Since deciding to give The Squiz a go almost 12 months ago I’ve been told repeatedly that I am ‘brave’. I’m sure 70% of the time the word has been used with the Sir Humphrey definition in mind. You know: “That would be a brave decision, Minister.” Read: “That will never work.”

I reckon the other 30% just couldn’t imagine themselves giving away a good job to breathe life into an idea that I wasn’t even very good at explaining.

Of course, there’s nothing brave about what I’ve done. There is nothing to lose, other than (worst comes to worst) a bit of start-up capital and a few months of my life. And maybe just a bit of personal pride if it doesn’t fly.

Strangely though, failure isn’t something I have dwelt on in the same way I did when I was working with the safety net of permanent employment. Although you could not meet a more comfortable wage-taker than me, my work as the flack in politics and in the corporate world brought the pressure of significant consequences if I stuffed up. I worried daily about emails sent, conversations had, advice given and strategies deployed. Sounds awful when I think of it like that, but I loved it.

So, creating The Squiz has been a real joy. After a career of being paid to be a news junkie, The Squiz is the happy collision of my personal interests with a service I think might be useful to people, and particularly busy women.

Mind you, I haven’t been alone on the journey. There have been some very talented, knowledgeable and motivated people who I have relied on (and continue to rely on) to navigate so many unknowns. Not to mention the many friends who have been cheering from the sidelines while asking the hard questions at just the right times. The things I’ve learned and the people I’ve met or got to know better have made this journey absolutely worthwhile.

I truly think The Squiz will help you stay across what’s happening in the world today. And we need to be informed because it’s a pretty crazy world out there.

I really hope you enjoy The Squiz as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together. CK