Growing Seeds - Step Three: The Blades - Juliet Hall

When a seed has been isolated, placed in the right environment and properly rooted, it’s just a matter of time before you wake up one day and see new life emerge from the soil.

If you are a new, budding entrepreneur, you are like a seed.

Likewise, when I decided to leave Corporate America to grow the “corporation” inside of me, I first had to develop in isolation (read Growing Seeds – Part 1). I shut down everything I considered to be “noise”—for example, non-productive relationships and social activities that sucked my time. Intentionally, I was quiet about my new venture until I was ready to launch (especially to family, as I was vulnerable and needed to avoid their doubt and questions).

Then, I developed a root system of trusted advisors, people who believed in me and my vision, who had the expertise to help advance my agenda (read Growing Seeds – Part 2). I also immersed myself with the right reading and viewing materials that could sharpen my gifts, skills and knowledge.

After a process of 20 months, I am finally seeing “blades” sprout from the ground. In my business of helping individuals toward self-discovery, empowerment and transformation, I am attracting new opportunities, experiencing an increase of engaged digital followers, and growing in international influence—slowly, but surely.

Consequently, I am learning not to compare the growth of my business with others. Different businesses, depending on the size and impact of its purpose, not only vary in its rate of return but also vary in its longevity. In the analogy of seeds, oak trees, for instance, take 20 to 30 years to mature but are massive, enduring, and can live 600 years or longer. And then, there are the simple plants, annuals such as corn, that take a few months to germinate and mature but then die within a year. There are businesses like oak trees and annuals—and everything else in between them.

If you are a new entrepreneur like me, be encouraged. Continue to nourish your seed and stay firmly rooted and grounded. Eventually, you will see the blades burst through the ground and will know you are headed in the right direction.

A few reminders: