Your entrepreneurial wins and why you need to celebrate themย
Every day has its highs and lows. Itโs very possible to win a big sale and have your head of technology quit in the same day.
Like pregnant moms, when entrepreneurs start a business, they go through three trimesters:
- First Trimester. The excitement is palpable. You wake up ener- gized and focused. The challenges you face are there, and you know there will be more, but success seems inevitable. You think it is just a matter of time before you get there. Troubles are just speed bumps along the way.
- Second Trimester. You feel fat and ugly. Reality has set in. Youโre not moving as fast as youโd like. You havenโt lost passion for your vision, but you are realizing just how much hard work and sac- rifice it is going to take. Like the pregnant mom, you wish you could drink, and that sometimes getting out of bed wasnโt so difficult.
- Third Trimester. Youโre excited and scared. Now itโs about balancing the anticipation of giving birth to your child with the fear of being a new parent, of the unknown.
“Every day you work hard to make progress and get wins. Celebrate your wins.”
Celebrate your wins! There are many times during the meeting, the hour, the day, the week, and the month that you will get punched in the face. At early stages, wins tend to be small and incremental. Nonetheless, celebrate them. At the same time, be prepared that when the wins come, they naturally raise issues and concerns
Your perspective on this is critical. Even though there is pleasure and pain at almost every turn, you must move the organization onward and upward. You must celebrate wins. You must appreciate being challenged because it means you are successful enough to be growing. Investors, customers and employees are attentive to your venture because you are bringing some- thing that is valuable to them. Donโt forget that. Make sure you and your team take time to remember the alternative: sitting in your bedroom writ- ing business plans no one cares enough about to create problems for you.
