Seed to Sapling
Growth is a part of life, and we all start as planted seeds that must crack and die before turning into saplings. As entrepreneurs, we also need to let certain voices in our heads die. Specifically, the ones trying to convince us that we won’t succeed. Everything worth having requires love and patience. During the first stage of growth, vulnerability is inevitable, and not every sapling will make it. That is the perfect metaphor for building a business from scratch. It starts small, with a single seed, thought, or idea that has a great chance of thriving if cared for and nurtured. You can liken the soil to your market niche, the water to the knowledge you acquire, the sun to the solutions you offer, and the fertilizer to good old-fashioned hard work.
Flower to Ripe Cherry
After a while, when the roots are established, a white flower will make its appearance. The spectacle is brief, it withers and falls within the span of a few days. It shows up precisely to remind you that you have cared for this being enough to allow it to bloom. This is the first tangible sign of development, a sort of promise of what will come. The flower leaves its mark with a node that will turn into a single cherry containing a coffee bean. The sense of accomplishment that comes with watching the sapling bloom is precisely what makes entrepreneurship so worth it. Sure, there are risks but there is also an immense possibility of success. There is a certain magic in remembering that all journeys start small. A seed will become a green cherry and then a red, ripe one. Keeping in mind that not all cherries will ripen at the same time, helps to remind us that our progress is ours alone and that no two businesses have the same story or the same journey.
Processed Bean to Coffee Cup
In life, business, and cherry-picking, quality will always supersede quantity. A single great idea that you are willing to diligently work on, will trump 20 different ideas that you keep stored in a hazy part of your brain and that will never get your full attention. Once you select the best ideas/cherries, comes the processing. This is comparable to making sure that the daily tasks of your business are laid out, covered, and executed with excellence. Yes, this might be tedious, but none of the earlier steps matter much if you get careless during the processing stage. Remembering that nature has seasons, doing what needs to be done and doing it well, is what sets the entrepreneurship wheels in motion. This is what ensures that our bean is processed and that we get to eventually sit and sip on a hot, vibrant, freshly brewed cup of coffee (and enjoy the satisfaction of watching our business thrive while we do).
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