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Smart Women Are Great Gardeners

Written by: Joy Chudacoff

Article Overview: This article communicates the similarities between growing a garden and growing a new Big Idea dream or goal. They each take planning, patience and time to cultivate and grow. It’s important early on to give your Big Idea, dream or goal a lot of thought. Decide on all of the steps, make a plan to really make it happen—grow your Big Idea. Often times, we “Plant the seed” for our dreams and goals and then we become frustrated when they do not grow as we had hoped. We need to reflect on how we cared for our “new garden.” Did we nurture it? New ideas and plans take lots of care.

Smart Women Are Great Gardeners

As I was unpacking a box in our new house the other day, I found a beautiful drawing that my son Jack had done when he was in Kindergarten last year, in the spring. It’s 4 pieces of paper layered together with drawings and these 4 words: seed, roots, stem, flower. There is a lot of sunshine and rain above to illustrate how growing something meaningful needs both. When Jack saw it, he immediately began to explain to his younger sister Jenna how this works. “You plant a seed, give it water, then a root grows, then a stem and then you have a flower one day.” Wow, if only it were that simple!

Realizing a big idea, dream, or goal is a lot like planting a seed in your garden. The first step is to decide which seed (idea) you want to plant. There are so many choices. Which one seems to be the perfect fit for you right now in your life? After you decide what seed you want to plant, you need to learn about that seed and how it needs to be cared for to get the best results. When you have a big idea or goal, you need to find out everything you need to make it successful so that you can realize a meaningful outcome. Now you need to plant the seed. For example, if it’s a business idea, you need to take all the necessary steps to start a business. Next you need to make sure the seed gets enough water and sunshine so that it will form good roots. This can be challenging for some of us. In this example, I’m talking about starting a business. We come up with a winning idea; we give it a name, print business cards, tell a few people we are in business, and wonder why the phone isn’t ringing off the hook with customers? Remember the water and sunshine? In the business example, you need to have a solid marketing plan for your business that includes plenty of networking and support. This is how a business develops “roots” in a community.

If you continue to nurture your seed (idea), over time, it will develop very strong roots and a stem. Eventually, you will see your seed turn into a beautiful flower that others will admire and want to gaze at. In my earlier example, your business will develop a presence in your community and people will want to use and recommend your service. The key in growing anything—a beautiful flower garden or a business idea, is nurturing during the early phase.

After 18 years as an entrepreneur, this cycle has proven true time after time. When my business was in a slow-growth mode, it was because I had gotten away from caring and nurturing my idea. When I provided the proper nurturing (spending sufficient time and attention supplying “sunshine and water”), my business soared. Women are great gardeners because we are nurturers by nature. It’s not about luck. You just have to stay true to your “big idea”, giving it the time and attention it deserves.

I love this piece of artwork that my son Jack made. It will surely stay firmly planted at my desk, as it is a quick reminder of where I am in the growing process.

Anything is possible. Everything is waiting for you.

*****

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Article Tags: beautiful flower, big idea, business example, business idea, choices, drawing, drawings, hook, kindergarten, marketing plan, necessary steps, networking, perfect fit, plant a seed, print business cards, roots, seed idea, sister jenna, steps to start a business, sunshine and rain



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Re: History of Women in Business in the United States - Yes. Women have increasingly made positive economic contributions to society and their position is being recognized more and more as seen on the Forbes List of Executive Women. In general, women can be a bit more practical in their approach as entrepreneurs too.
A ton of Great Women - You might want to profile Teresa Cascioli of LakePort Brewery. She has an amazing story! I met her at at the celebratory luncheon for the Profit/Chatelaine Top 100 Women Business Owners. The Top 100 list is also a great resource for inspirational stories of Women Entrepreneurs.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - Women are generally more organised than men. They have good instincts more than men. Women are generally aggressive when it come to business. You don't want to mess up with them.
Re: Are entrepreneur women more organized than men? - The issue of women being more organized than men is true, start from you home, just see how messy the boys are. Women are also very cautious, unlike men who take any risk, a woman will analyze the risk first. Women are also go getter when it comes to business, once they make their mind, then they go for it.
Re: Why aren't there more women entrepreneurs? - My opinion on this (being a women, and being disabled), is; Women in general like security. Women are the caretakers, in general. In the work environment we are the one to have children. We are the ones who leave work to do this. We deal with a stigma that we are bad mothers if we work, but we are a bad mother if we do not work. I feel there is no way a man could ever understand this. Sure they can try, and some do a good job of it, however they truly do not understand. How could they?? Being a entrepreneur is throwing cation to the wind. It takes believing in yourself. It takes a women who can have someone say no, put us down or just plan old negativity and for us to turn it around. Women who can do this are called names, while men in the business world are just expected to have a thick skin. Studies show in the work environment that women are more apt to be bullies. Women are more apt to turn on each other. We expect more out of each other. Many women also use the work environment to socialize and to find a mate. Men and women are not created equal. Once we understand this and take what we are and "run" with it; the better all of us will be. Women business owners, women entrepreneurs are still considered a minority. Since there are more women then men in this world, some day this will turn around. This too is why men need to protect themselves and keep us under some kind of control. What bothers me to no end is when women give in to the mans world using sex as a selling tool. We need strong women leaders, not those who use their bodies as a step up. This is just my opinion on this subject.


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