After one year off, when obviously I did not write anything in this blog, I ended up back where I started; building networks in Latin America, my favorite part of the world. I took a year for some hard thinking, about what to do and where to do it. Some conclusions:
Don't push a bad hand. I realized that working in the financial industry in the heart of a major financial center was not my strong suit. That my company made money was primarily due to the skills and dedication of my colleagues. Luck (market timing) also was important. I concluded that I know enough about finance for some projects but that I needed to focus elsewhere.
Regions count. Working in Europe then returning to emerging markets again showed me the differences between the parts of the world and that these do count in business. With my background working in Latin America is clearly the logical choice.
Know yourself. I am thankful that I was able to honestly look at my strengths, but more importantly as my weaknesses. This was only possible because I took time to think.
