My co-founder Fiona, standing on the ‘roof of the world’, the summit of Everest.

Yesterday was my usual weekly catch up meeting with my co-founder in my SaaS startup. Fiona has been with the company for about 7 months now, and has been responsible for amazing growth and success in our company in that time.

Before she joined, as part of my due diligence before signing her up as a director of the company, I spoke to her previous business partner, and he mentioned during that conversation something about Fiona and her husband doing an “Everest expedition” some years ago. I assumed it was a hike up to one of the basecamps or similar, like I have heard others do.

But during our meeting yesterday, our talk somehow turned to the tallest mountain in the world, and I was startled to learn that Fiona is actually the 3rd Australian woman to ever have climbed and stood at the summit of Mount Everest!

Work talk was put aside as we spent a long time talking about that incredible achievement. The sheer amount of mental and physical strength required to undertake that sort of climb, over a long period, and to actually make it to the top that so few have done before just had my jaw on the ground for most of the conversation.

I can see now the where some of the dogged qualities that my co-founder has comes from. There is a big difference working with flakey people who will turn tail and run at the slightest discomfort or inconvenience, and those that will persevere through the tough times and have your back no matter how precarious the situation becomes. I think I know which category Fiona belongs to.

I am really proud of my co-founder, and am glad that I have the opportunity to work with strong women like her in my career.