The First - Pancake Syndrome
Pancakes are a Sunday ritual in our house, and over the course of the last year I've become a pro at turning out perfect caramel-colored cakes that I smother with maple syrup. The last time I made them, however, it hit me that the first one never turns out quite right. It's always a little light, a bit mottled, and often unevenly cooked because the pan is still coming to full temperature.
Standing in front of the stove, I realized those first pancakes are a lot like the initial forays into solo entrepreneurship. Solo newcomers stumble around, searching for the perfect sequence of steps to ensure that their new business will be a huge success. Some get lucky, and hit the mark on the first attempt. Most, however, are like those first pancakes off the griddle -- not quite perfectly formed, and sometimes downright disastrous (and inedible).
First pancakes meet a variety of fates. Some get tossed. Others get buried at the bottom of the stack, where they mix in with better specimens so they taste OK. Still others get fed to the family dog.
Similarly, first solo efforts reach different ends. Some send individuals running back to corporate life. A rare few serve as flawless launching pads for ongoing success. The majority, however, provide important lessons that spur soloists on to wiser -- and more effective -- strategies for building a stronger business. (They also create a bank of war stories for later years, when you get to recount, "Oh, when I started MY first solo business....")
This pancake analogy is one that's been used by others, to often illustrate that first attempts should be seen as throw-away efforts. I believe, however, that initial efforts in any area -- whether it's your first solo business, or if you're trying to break into a new industry, or creating a new product or service -- all have more value than we often realize at the time. Experienced soloists understand that the stumbles are all part of the journey, and no learning should be discarded. Missteps help clarify where you want to go, and what traps you want to avoid.
What's important is the perspective. Ask entrepreneurs about the mistakes that they've made, and they'll likely roll their eyes and be able to offer a laundry list of their failings. Yet ask them if they learned more from those fumbles or from their successes, and they will all say the mistakes taught them so much more.
So don't discount any first-time attempts that may have come up short on your performance yardstick. Learn to reframe the experience, and recognize the value it has brought you in the larger context of your business development and professional life. If you understand the role that initial efforts play -- and even the benefits that failures may bring -- you'll be able to survive the rough times with a bit more equanimity.
Here's to new beginnings and best wishes to all of you, my kindred soloists, for a happy, healthy, and prosperous 2004. Now, pass the syrup -- I have a whole new batch of pancakes (and first-time efforts) to make.
Publisher: Terri Lonier, author of the "Working Solo" series and president of Working Solo, Inc., strategic advisor to companies targeting the SOHO (small office/home office) market and individuals who want to grow a successful solo business. We create the SOHO Connection(TM). Contact us at: wsoffice@workingsolo.com
Working Solo is a registered trademark, and The Frugal Entrepreneur, SOHO Connection, the Business Gym, and the Personal Pathfinder Program are trademarks of Terri Lonier. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders.
Copyright 2003 Terri Lonier. All rights reserved.
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