Last night I had an “aha!” moment, a realization, a “that’s it!” reaction and I just had to tell you about it.
I realized that business should feel good.
I know, it doesn’t seem like much of a discovery, but let me explain…
My daughter, Sariah, is going to be three in December, and for the past maybe 3 or 4 months, she’s had the habit of waking up in the middle of the night crying or calling for daddy.
So every night when I hear her, I get up, head to her room and lay down with her.
Without fail, the second I open her door and she sees me, she gets this HUGE smile, stretches her arms out for a hug as I lay down with her and she gives me this big, tight squeeze, whispers “love you daddy” then rolls over and falls right asleep.
Typically, this only happens once a night, so it’s really no big deal. In fact, I really enjoy it.
The moment I see her smile, arms out, feel her squeeze me, whisper in my ear, I feel like a million bucks. It’s a total HIGH moment in my life, a moment where everything is good in the world and this is exactly where I want to be.
Well, last night was slightly different.
Maybe she got into a few more candies than we thought, but when I went to see her she wasn’t feeling well, was far more whiny and wanted to go sit on the recliner in the rec room with me to sleep. I decided to roll with it and brought her down and the second we started rocking, she moved a bit then fell asleep and I brought her back to bed.
And that’s when I realized that this is exactly what I do in my business…how all business should be.
You see, business should be good. Business should be fun. Business should make you feel like a million bucks. Business is just like parenting.
There are long nights, there are early mornings, there are disagreements, there are problems out of your control, there are times you’re not sure if you know what you’re doing, there are times when you doubt everything you’ve done or where you’re going, there are ups and downs and everything in between…But in the end, business should be good.
Surely you’ve heard people refer to their businesses as “their baby”…
As a marketing consultant, I hear some real business horror stories. Sometimes I come into a business that’s 50K in debt facing bankruptcy, months behind on their rent, living off investors or debt, burning through money like crazy, bleeding out the back in an already cash flow negative state, struggling to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck, you name it, it’s happened.
Usually I’m seen as a savior, but occasionally marketers, like parents in a disagreeing child’s eye, are seen as something bad.
But like I would never give up on my children, I wouldn’t give up on clients, and seeing their face, their smile, their relief when the table gets turned, cash starts coming in and their business is safe reminds me that BUSINESS IS GOOD.
And I sincerely hope that you feel the same about your business. Don’t ever lose sight of the end goal, the reason you started.
Enjoy the journey, take in every moment, live through the ups and downs and come out on top.
Business Is Good
Oh, but before I forget… one little “side note”… The last thing I want to do is leave you feeling great and positive about your business without any tangible suggestions to turn things around. Knowledge is not power, the application of knowledge is power.
One common mistake I see often – in both parenting and business – is the assumption that they already know everything.
If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know I’m always learning. When I had my first child, I bought dozens of parenting books. Books for raising boys, books for raising girls, books on how to communicate to children in a way they understand, books on how to love a child the way they need it, etc.
You get the point.
When I built my first couple businesses, and still to this day, I bought everything I could get my hands on. When I was faced with a problem, I reached out, I learned from others, I got a coach, I hired help, I found answers and solutions and I made it work.
So, to be clear…business is GOOD, but that doesn’t mean you’re going to make it without help, guidance, coaching, or even just a friend to bounce ideas off.
You’re not alone in this world, everything is made better with a team behind you. If you have a problem, figure it out, search for a solution, learn from others, buy books, take courses, search the web, hire a consultant, ask a mentor, anything. I can guarantee you that what ever problem, or problems, you may be facing today, someone has already been through it and found a solution. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.
Regardless of your approach, I sincerely hope you look at your business in a new light, with a sense of pride that only a parent can feel, and understand that despite the highs and lows, business is good.
To your success,
Al