I was in a meeting with a client recently, and as we were discussing the usual what’s going on in each other’s lives, where we are at with her business, what she wants to happen, and what I want her to do next, something came up that I really hadn’t thought about. Ever.
It turns out she had thought a lot about it. In fact, the first time she thought about it was when she first interviewed me.
And what it was is this…the one thing that she loved most about me was that I took care of her. I nurtured her. I had her back. And I looked out for her business.
She went on to expound on how invaluable this is to a business owner, this thing that I just inherently do. She put it like this, “There are techie virtual assistants who can do the work, but you are different. You take care of me. I know you have my back”.
So, I started to think about what it means to a business owner to be nurtured, to have someone that has their back, and takes care of them and their business, and why this is so important to the success of their business and to their personal well-being and good health.
Think of it like this.
You run a successful business. You take care of your clients. But being an entrepreneur and growing a business is not easy.
You take care of your husband and the kids, the family finances. And while you love them and love the part you play in supporting your family, it takes lots of energy to make sure everyone is happy and healthy and everything is running smoothly.
You keep in touch with your friends as often as possible. You make sure your mom and dad see you as often as possible. And as they get older, your role will change with them. You may even become a caregiver to one or both of your parents at some point. Then there are the volunteer activities and so on.
I’m sure you can add to the list.
You’ve got it all together; all your ducks are in a row…
Except one. That one duck that never quite seems to fall into line with the rest quite like it should.
That one is you.
Who is taking care of you?
You spend so much time nurturing others and doing for others, and you are happy in doing it.
But,do you spend enough time, any time, nurturing you?
Well, of course, you say.
You make sure you get to the professional retreat’s each year that you want to go to.
You go on this amazing trip to Hawaii to do the team planning session.
You work out regularly.
You get your facials in, hair done.
You find time to meditate or read, right?
You get the idea.
That’s all good, and you should be commended for making space for your needs.
But still, even with all this, do you feel nurtured?
Do you feel like someone is taking care of you?
Do you have the comfort in knowing that there is one person on this planet that has your back and is looking out for you and your business?
This is really key because there is a difference in taking care of yourself and having someone else taking care of you.
The benefits of being a nurtured business owner.
Ones of the main reasons many women start businesses is to have more freedom in their life. But often, it doesn’t turn out that way.
Sometimes, it can seem like you have even less freedom than ever, and you just can’t get away from your business. It can be so a part of you that it’s just like eating and sleeping and drinking that delicious cup of coffee first thing every morning without a second thought.
If you are a nurtured business owner, you can have your freedom.
Freedom to enjoy life and loved ones. During the summer, your family may like to travel a lot more or host friends on a regular basis. The kids may be home, and you want to spend more time with them because they are not young forever. Or you may have to shuttle them around to their band camp or baseball camp or baton.
Freedom to travel. You’ll want to be able to enjoy extended vacations at home or abroad when the opportunity arises. This helps you to relax, unwind, and rejuvenate your mind and your health so you can be present and deliver at a high level when you are working.
Freedom from worry. When you are taking some time off, not having to worry about whether or not things are getting done greatly reduces your stress levels. You know that there are systems in place so that things run smoothly and regularly and everyone know what their responsibility it. You know that your assistant cares about you and your business and wants you to fill up your tank. They will do whatever they can to make that happen.
Freedom to deal with the unexpected. Have you ever had a day or a week where you became ill unexpectedly and just couldn’t work on your business? Where it was all you could do to make it through your client session?
Have you ever experienced the loss of a loved one and been called away without any preparation to handle the situation, leaving your business in the hands of your assistant?
While those situations are never easy when running a business, the outcome can be much more successful when you have an assistant that is invested you and in your business.
Freedom to unplug. Whether you need to step away from your business for an afternoon, a few days, or a month, the key for you to reap the benefits is to really unplug. No emails, no work, no computer, text messages …
What role do you place in experiencing the benefits of nurturing?
Here’s the thing. Being nurturing and trusting that someone has your back doesn’t just happen just because you have an assistant that has your back on that level.
But you play a huge part in this.
Being open to receive and trusting are necessary to reap these benefits.
If you want to experience more of the benefits of being a nurtured, here are a few tips:
- Hire the right assistant.
- Get your systems in order.
- Have weekly meetings with your assistant (and your team).
- Build a relationship with your assistant through positive and open communication.
- Trust that your business can run without you from time to time.
- Take regular and frequent breaks from your business.
Just remember, you are so good at what you do.
No one can give to the world that special gift that only you have.
But you can’t do it alone. No one can. You need someone to work alongside you that you know will look after you and your business, someone who will have your back, pick up the slack when that needs to happen, and will provide nurturing support to you on your journey of business success.
Please share your story of being a nurtured business owner in the comments below.