Holy awesome sauce!! For the past week, I have been basking in the glow of Paris and the Parisian culture. Today I am in the beautiful countryside of Provence in the village of Menerbes. The beauty that surrounds me is unexplainable. I am so amazed and grateful for this experience in a way I can’t put into words.
Up until this past week, I have never had the opportunity to travel to Europe! And for 3 weeks – I am loving life!!! First Paris – then Provence, then I’m off to Italy for another 9 days of travel…
Literally, a dream come true experience.
So many new experiences… so many people… the FOOOOD!!!! And the clothes!!! Thank goodness I actually brought a second suitcase (empty)!! Haha!!
This has been a dream in the making – a dream I’ve had for almost a decade!!
And it got me thinking!! Thinking about how when we want to create something BIG and amazing in our life, we allow it the time to manifest into reality.
We don’t expect to have the 3-week trip happen the moment we decide we want to go, right?
It needs to take time, planning and quite frankly – a LOT of work!
The “success” of this trip doesn’t happen “overnight.” Yet so many people go into business and “think” they should become an “overnight” success…
The impact – we shit all over ourselves when our business doesn’t move/grow fast enough! Which only keeps you frozen from moving forward.
So how long does it REALLY take to have a successful business??
First, you need to realize that every business is unique, as is each business owner.
For some people, they have no children and $20K in start-up capital. For others, they have 4 children and a start-up of $5K … (like me). But each person, each journey, is unique…
The problem I see over and over again is how the mind creeps in, makes a judgement within your own head, triggers fear and causes you to go into analysis paralysis. Do you know what I mean?
I want to share an amazing story I read about just last week – It’s a story about the Chinese Bamboo Tree.
My hope is that through this story, you’ll begin to have a broader perspective as to what a successful business is all about, why marketing consistently is so important and why daily actions create results.
The Chinese Bamboo Tree seed is planted on day one, and it sits underneath the soil unnoticed, much like any seed you plant. But unlike planting a flower or a vegetable, the growth doesn’t come with the next season or within 4-6 weeks for you to marvel at and be proud of.
There is literally nothing visible to celebrate! And no “proof” of the work.
The entire first year, all you do is water it. Water the seed. Water the seed. Water the seed.
Still you “see” nothing.
For the entire second year, you continue to water the seed.
Guess what you do in year 3? YUP – just keep watering the seed! Three years in and there is still NO EVIDENCE that anything is actually happening. But underneath the Earth – a miracle of life is unfolding. One you are not aware of.
The passion, persistence, drive, motivation and commitment that you’ve put into growing this tree continues throughout the fourth year – still without acknowledgement. There is not more than a single inch of the tree that you can see visually.
But my dear friend, in the fifth year, something amazing happens. In the fifth year, your endurance and resilience are rewarded.
And then almost like magic, within a 6 week period, the Chinese Bamboo Tree grows to be 80 feet tall.
80 feet is a lot of growth, every inch of it an impossibility without the time spent during the first four years to nurture that growth. Because what happens during those four years is integral to establishing the support the tree will need to grow that tall, that fast.
When you’re growing your own successful business, there are an infinite number of frustrations, let downs, and times when you’ll put in a ton of work and see zero immediate or tangible results. But that doesn’t mean you should give up and walk away.
Believe that the seeds are forming under the Earth and allow the time for them to take hold.
Like my 3 week trip to Europe, I planted those seeds 10 years ago. I never gave up on the dream. I took action. I looked for the opportunities. I saved money. I did the “work” to create money. And I allowed the dream to build – until when my email said, “Your flight leaves in 7 days” – I could hardly believe that it all happened SO FAST!
Your Assignment This Week
I want you to take the time to realize and acknowledge just how much work goes into growing your business every single day – how much work goes into building that foundation and establishing the support your business will require once it does start to grow – and the compound effect that can have if you truly commit to it.
À bientôt! (See you soon!)
Bises! (Hugs & Kisses)
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Welcome readers! If this is your first time reading my blog, thank you for stopping by! As a concierge who has built a successful business, I have decided to help other budding entrepreneurs do the same! As the Founder of The Concierge Academy, I write about specific topics and marketing strategies that Work for our industry!
It’s not always easy to build a service-based business. Many see it as an intangible, but you can build a profitable and flourishing concierge business!
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