Marketing Lessons from Kids: Business Resiliency
If you’ve followed my blog, you know that I’m constantly finding inspiration throughout my day-to-day life. I find these lessons to help me be a better business owner and a savvier marketer. Whether it’s buying a new dishwasher, taking a trip through the airport, or spending the day at the splash park, I’ve found that life’s constantly trying to educate us and teach us new lessons all the time – all we have to do is listen. These marketing lessons have encouraged me to seek out other sources of inspiration and education outside the business world. Well, it wasn’t long until I realized that a robust marketing curriculum could be found in my own home. I’m talking, of course, about my kids! Today’s lesson is about business resiliency.
As Lucas and Leah are starting to grow up and experience the world around them, they’re constantly exploring. They are learning what it means to be a good person and how to treat others around them. They’re learning how to deal with life’s disappointments and celebrate its successes. While these lessons might be simple, they often cause my brain to spark and ignite with learnings that lead me to success in my entrepreneurial pursuits! That’s exactly why I’m here now – to share the latest lesson that I learned from Lucas and Leah.
Kids Are Business Resiliency Experts
The other day, Lucas was playing with a friend when something didn’t go quite the way he’d wanted it to. I didn’t see what exactly had transpired, but right at that moment, it didn’t really matter. What had moments ago been happy play between friends had turned into tears, clenched fists, and upset wails. It turned out that the argument had been over a toy and whose turn it was to play with it. After calming everybody down and getting a snack in their bellies, they went back to playing. Moments later, the room was again filled with the shrieks and laughter of childish delight – music to my ears!
As I celebrated another small parenting win, I paused a moment while the wheels in my head started to spin. Moments ago, both my son and his friend had been crying as though someone told them Christmas was canceled. Then, just like that, they were able to pull themselves out of their emotional turmoil and get right back to laughing, giggling, and playing with one another. What an incredible example of resiliency in action. Imagine how amazing it would be to quickly bounce back from things in the business world as the boys did!
Business Resiliency at Its Best
While I don’t know that I’ll ever be able to be quite as resilient as my son currently is his age, I do know that I can certainly stand to take some cues from him in terms of embodying a more resilient approach to how I approach entrepreneurship as a whole.
Oftentimes, as business owners, we can run into situations that make us want to just sit down and cry. Maybe it’s a project that doesn’t go the way we want it to or a client that decides to part ways with us. The truth of the matter is, business is tough. It’s emotionally challenging. No matter how much effort a person puts into making sure everything goes the way it’s supposed to, sometimes there are stumbling points along the way. This is where that childlike resiliency comes into play.
Cues to Take
Take some time to feel bad about things. Wallow, pout, be upset, have a cry. The business world can be unfair at times. It’s okay to take a moment to be sad, disappointed, or even downright angry. Don’t linger, though – give yourself the time you need, and then pick yourself up and move on. Along with the resiliency, I saw Lucas display that afternoon in the living room, I also saw something else. He had an amazing ability to immediately forgive and forget. Whatever had been a problem before was in the past. Once he’d had his cry and calmed down, he’d truly moved on. Wrongs were forgotten, and all was well. It doesn’t do you any good to harbour ill-feelings. They take up precious mental space and energy that can be better focused on enjoying or improving your current situation, business, and life.
Let It Go
Holding grudges doesn’t help anybody – they only make us bitter and miserable. As part of that childlike resiliency, it’s important to truly be ready to move on when it’s time to do so. Don’t forget to leave behind along the baggage of hurt feelings or angry resentments. No matter what the situation is, be sure to carry yourself with grace, respect, and integrity. When you look back on things, you’ll always be able to hold your head high and be proud of how you handled what was a difficult and trying situation.
Take Stock of Where You Are
Finally, take the time following your resilient bounce-back to reflect on your situation and think of where you’re at. What put you in that spot in the first place? How do you avoid stumbling the same way again? More often than not, failure comes part-and-parcel with a lesson too. Don’t be afraid to fall apart because that is the best way to build yourself back up stronger. Be sure to take the time to learn from your mistakes before simply moving forward. You might find yourself being pushed outside of your comfort zone from the learning and growth that will result from it. It’s in these instances that we find new successes, so don’t be afraid to step outside your box.
Wanting to learn more about how you can apply childlike resiliency to your business practices? Get in touch with us today at The Marketing Girl! We’ll be happy to chat with you about bouncing back from your marketing woes. Let us help you build a business that really sparks!
