Total Merchant Concepts turned 21 years old this month- no small feat in the business world. Since we started the business the same year our son Tyler was born, he also turned 21 this month! During our celebration, a few things reminded me of the various Rites of Passage not only in our personal lives, but in the lives of our businesses.
LONGEVITY IS EARNED: In order for a child to grow into a 21 year old, certain precautions have to be taken. Safety measures and guidance are required. Our businesses are no different. In order to have a long standing business, we need to consider putting systems into place that provide the guidance and feedback that will insure our survival.
BE SELECTIVE ABOUT WHO YOU HANG AROUND: We've all seen the tragic stories of kids going down the wrong track and many times the wayward spiral can be traced back to hanging around the wrong people. Successful business owners know that when you surround yourself with other successful business owners, strong coaches and mentors, your chances for longevity and success are greatly increased. Hanging out alone or getting involved with those who do not see a bright future can cause real problems so being PICKY about your PEERS is critical.
CELEBRATE: When you are a child, celebrating comes naturally and when you turn 21- well- let's just say there is really no need to have others encourage you to celebrate! We had so much fun celebrating this rite of passage with our son. After the evening was over, I was struck by the fact that as a business owner I RARELY celebrate- it's always on to the next goal! We can learn from our kids! Take time to celebrate the victories and milestones in your business. Acknowledge your accomplishments and take the time to truly appreciate what your hard work and persistence have achieved.
GET BACK TO WORK: Many famous coaches have encouraged their teams to take a moment to soak in the victory and then GET BACK TO WORK. Our Son had a great celebration for his 21st birthday and a couple of days later had to go back to work- his future was waiting! As business owners, we always want to be careful not to get lost in yesterday's accomplishments and forget to move forward. Everything changes and in order for our businesses to grow, we have to change with the times.
There are many rites of passage in our personal and business lives. When we take the necessary steps, we EARN our LONGEVITY. By surrounding ourselves with the RIGHT PEOPLE, we increase our chances of success. When we take the time to CELEBRATE our successes, we fuel our future successes and give ourselves permission to move forward. Then we all get to do it again- by GETTING BACK TO WORK!
We had so much fun with our Son, celebrating his 21st birthday and we are blessed to be looking forward to celebrating future accomplishments personally and professionally.
