Root and Wings: Mothering Your Business
by Charlon Bobo

My Mom gave me the two greatest gifts any parent can – roots and wings. The “roots” were my foundation; the “wings” were my ability to fly into the world as a confident adult. No matter what happened, I was equipped with everything necessary to thrive and succeed. She could never have known during my childhood the profound and positive impact this would have on me as an adult.

Roots and wings, roots and wings. 
She did that for me. And the beauty is that she did it effortlessly. She admits she didn’t “feel” like she knew what she was doing and yet, intuitively, she was giving my soul exactly what it needed. And so it is in business.

The soul of your business requires nurturing at each stage to move in a healthy fashion to the next level. You may not “feel” like you know what you’re doing. That’s okay. Not feeling competent doesn’t mean you aren’t. It’s just a reminder that you don’t know it all and that you don’t have to know it all to give your venture exactly what it needs throughout all the stages of business growth.

Here are the distinct stages in a child’s development and how they correlate to the growth of your business:

Pregnancy – This is the thinking stage, the brewing time, the time of preparation. It is fraught with excitement as well as trepidation. Without really knowing what to expect, you look forward with anticipation and even though you may not feel fully equipped, you are confident that you will have everything you need in the moment you need it – or will access your creativity to find innovative resolve.

The Birthing Process – The launch date has arrived – the day you’ve been waiting and working for. Whether it’s a new Web site or retail store, all your hard work will soon reap its rewards. Your original vision is ready to make a debut in the real world! A quick last deep breath and a final push, here we go!

The Infant – Every day there seems to be something new; a situation that wasn’t anticipated or planned for, something that didn’t turn out as expected. But your excitement in watching everything unfold is invigorating and keeps you close and attentive to every detail. You are probably sleep-deprived, but know that that, too, shall pass. Your passion won’t always require your in-depth attention or active involvement and that is what keeps you going!

The Toddler – Your business is starting to venture out. You may begin to feel that it’s getting a “life of its own.” Good! This is a natural and necessary progression in the continuing evolution of your business. Release your attachment to having things work out exactly like you first envisioned. Now is the perfect time to sit back a bit and reassess your business while incorporating new experiences and opportunities to further grow your business.

The Kindergartner – By now you are getting the important feedback that will ensure that your products/services are truly meeting the needs of your customers/clients. You methodically adapt your plan to meet these needs and discover that you could have never imagined every pathway on which this adventure is now taking you! Your original plan becomes a little more sophisticated, as you feel more and more confident in your role as a Lifestyle CEO.

The Pre-Teen – This stage can be awkward. You are not a novice entrepreneur, and you are much more comfortable than before, but because the pace of business seems to be increasing (it actually is!), you feel pressure to keep up. You say to yourself, “I am doing everything I know to do, but there are so many directions in which I could go. Some days I am on top of the world, and others feel so overwhelming.” This is an excellent time to enlist the services of a consultant to provide objective input, clarity, and help you refocus and reprioritize.

The Teenager – You may think your business is managing fine on its own, but remember that with the advances in technology and the way business is conducted and continues to evolve, you have to remain alert even if things look fine from the outside. There might be something lurking beneath the surface that if left unexplored, could cause you or your business great difficulty later on. Now is the perfect time to invest the time and energy required to ensure that your policies, systems, people, and products are exactly what you want them to be. This time period will allow you to step away from the day-to-day involvement, focus on managing long term growth, apply yourself to an area for which you have a special passion, or start another business.

The Late teen – Your business is successfully running itself based on all the mothering you have done so far. Great job! The people you entrust to manage the day-to-day minutia have proven to be an asset. They are dependable and include you only when your specific viewpoint or expertise is required. This allows you the freedom to be involved as much or as little as you desire.

The Adult – Now positioned for sale or simply well-established for long-term passive income, your baby is now full-grown thanks to you. Occasional contact or involvement is the extent of your participation. You bask in the pride of embarking on such a challenging path and emerge with knowledge that is not attainable any other way. You had to go through it to enjoy all the benefits of being here as the empowered and courageous Lifestyle CEO that you are!

There is mothering/nurturing to be imparted at every point throughout the life of your business, although the nature of it and the level of involvement change as time passes. Adapting to these changes is key. You wouldn’t expect an infant to grasp the concept of self-accountability, nor would you assume that your teenager would excitedly toddle into your open arms. It just won’t happen.

But, what will happen is that as you approach your business with a mindset of mothering, you’ll notice many more opportunities to nurture, support, and release it to become what it always had the potential to be - its own entity.

Roots and wings, roots and wings.

Thank you, Mom.

_______________

Charlon Bobo is the founder and CEO of Muse works virtual assistant services and one of the only women in the world with a completely shaved head by choice. Through Muse works, located in Southern California, Charlon supports Lifestyle CEOs by managing administrative details, freeing them to focus on growing their business. She also provides innovative consulting and coaching services based on her years of expertise in business.