With a child or a business, You need to hang on !!!

By Tricia McCullough 

Sometimes as a parent we’re severely tested. Particularly when the child in question is in their early teen years.

In this case, I am talking about my daughter, Madelyn.

You’re probably chuckling to yourself, or nodding in agreement as you reflect on your own experiences as a mom or dad. I can smile at that statement, too — at least now I can.

You see, Madelyn and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye, particularly during those formative years of hers. We fought as mother and daughter will do. We fought some more. We didn’t get along. Just like any parent, I went through some hard times. Just like any child, Madelyn did, too. But we eventually got through it and became closer as a result.

Augustedge, PLLC

Where is Madelyn today? Right now, at the age of 18, she is in basic training in Texas with the Air Force, after having graduated from both Wenatchee High School and from Wenatchee Valley College (with a two-year associate of arts degree) this past June.

Later this summer, she will head to Maryland for technical school training with the Air Force. In September, she will start classes at the University of Washington on the way to getting a bachelor’s degree and then a masters degree under the ROTC program. Her career goal in the Air Force? Public relations.

To say I am super, super proud of my daughter is an understatement.

I love her with all my heart.

While a person never can or should be compared to a business, there are similarities at work between raising a child and nurturing a company.

In the beginning both are new and exciting. Then the routine settles in — think of changing diapers or filling out invoices. That’s followed by a period of security, perhaps one lasting several years. And then bumps in the road develop. Think teen-age years here! Or, in the case of a business, those times when cash flow is tight or a large, long-time customer goes away.

In your business life, you consider throwing in the towel. In your personal life, you wonder why did I ever have a child?

What do you do? You evolve; you dig deep; you give; you receive; you hang on.

You continue down the path you chose years earlier.

And then your perseverance produces this most amazing story, this amazing life lesson: A child who blossoms into adulthood, with a solid future ahead; or a business that is an unqualified success.

In the end, it’s all worth it. But you have to take that leap of faith first.

Tricia McCullough is founder and president of Augustedge in Wenatchee, WA

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Created on Jul 27th 2012 11:24. Viewed 183 times.

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