“No! I can’t,” Nadia exclaimed as she tapped her feet in the water of the foot spa. Her feet needed some TLC and I promised her I’d do it this weekend. I set up everything and filled the foot spa with warm water. After giving her the disclaimer that the water is a little on the hot side, she tested it but said it was uncomfortable.
Just as I was about to give her the old, “beauty is pain” adage, I was prompted to make this a teachable moment. That’s what good Caribbean parents do 😏
“Do you know that humans have the ability to adapt to their environments? Sometimes when you first enter a new space it can be shocking, uncomfortable and even a bit painful to adjust to a change.”
“Muummmyyy I caaaann’t,” she responded in a sing-song tone.
I persisted. “The thing is, if you fully immerse yourself in the experience, with a mindset that you can handle it, you’d find that it may not be as bad as it was the first time when you retreated.” I gently immersed her feet in the foot spa and held it there for 3 seconds.
“Now be honest, is it burning you? Is it really that hot?”
“No mummy,” she replied giggling.
“Did water get into your feet?”
🤭“hehehe, no mummy!”
I looked her square in the face. “There are going to be times in the future when you have to go into environments that are uncomfortable at first, but you have to remember who you are and know you can handle it. Immerse yourself fully and you go change the environment, don’t let it change you. The water isn’t as hot any more because your feet are wiggling around in it. Go impact your environment.”
I wish somebody had given me that pep talk before I decided to stick my feet in the pool of entrepreneurship. Instead of 3 seconds to adapt, most businesses take 3 years to be established as successful. Either way, here I am about 1 year later sharing 5 things I’ve learned so far.
First to market is a real thing. You may not be the first to launch a particular product or service, but being the first to present a unique solution to a particular niche of clients is profitable. Invest in a mentor who has done it before, and can advise you on uniquely positioning yourself for the market.
Listen to your client. Don’t just passively listen to determine when to queue your elevator pitch, but actively listen to ensure what you have to offer is really the best, and exactly what they need.
It’s okay to refer to another professional. I can do alot of things, but it isn’t wise for me to do them all, if I know another person or business affiliate that can do it better. My name and reputation are very valuable, and create more mileage than a job done at a mediocre level.
Your business needs both prophetic insight AND practical systems. I need to combine visionary leadership with accountability, clear roles, and a solid operational framework to scale sustainably. (I’m still working on this part)
Business is a ministry. I’m a dreamer and a solutionist but I have to create solutions that solve real problems and transform lives. I can’t compromise core values for profit. I have to trust that having biblical & ethical standards yield favor and sustainability, and will allow me to fulfill my God-given assignment by helping others.
If you’ve just stepped into the waters of business—hold steady. Don’t pull back if this is what God designed you to do.
Go impact your environment!