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Success | September 24, 2007

The "Aha" Moment

Posted by Joanna Meiseles at 10:18 AM

I recently had the pleasure of participating on a panel of entrepreneurs at the Inc. 500 conference in Chicago. The entire event was a fantastic learning and networking opportunity, and I especially enjoyed the panel I sat on. I was joined by my fellow bloggers Gigi Lee Chang of Plum Organics, Clint Greenleaf of Greenleaf Book Group, as well as Jack Stack, CEO of SRC Holdings and author of The Great Game of Business. Each of us was asked the same opening question: When did you have your "aha moment" when you knew you had made it?

We all answered the same way. It was quite amazing! None of us felt like we had made it yet. We all felt like we were still struggling, still on the road to success, but not there yet. I think there is an important lesson there. Maybe it's that you never want to rest on your laurels and get too complacent. Maybe it's that it's normal to feel insecure and doubtful. Or maybe it's that you never really know what success looks like when you are still in the trenches of running and growing your business.

For me, personally, I think it's all of the above. Throughout the 12 years I have been growing Snip-its, I have had a series of "aha" moments that validate my work and keep me moving in the right direction. But every validation is tempered by struggles and challenges. For example, while I was successful raising my initial round of funding for my start-up, I had setbacks in securing the location I wanted. I ended up having to personally guarantee the lease to get the spot. Then after opening successfully with some pretty good numbers the first few weeks of business, I was plagued with some early turnover and staffing problems. To this day, it's still two steps forward, one (or two or three) steps back.

It was surprising to me to learn that I am not so different from other entrepreneurs. We are all insecure and doubt our abilities. I always thought it was just me, and other entrepreneurs were more competent and successful than I was. Most entrepreneurs I know seem so confident and self-assured, and I guess I come off that way, too. It was a revelation to me to hear the other panelists share their insecurities. One of the best lessons I have learned is to persevere in the face of insecurity, and not let it cripple me. My father, who passed away a few years ago, was a film producer in California, and he was one of my biggest supporters. When I cried to him that I didn't have what it takes to pull this business endeavor off, he would say to me, "You're a producer. You see the end result before it exists and pull together the team to get it done. In the end, you'll win the Oscar for best production."

Unfortunately, producing a business doesn't have a neat ending like producing a motion picture. Once a film is "in the can" you're done, and you just have to hope that the public likes it. A business, however is an ever-evolving process. Creating the physical space for the business is only the first step. Once you open your doors, that's when the real work begins, and every step thereafter is another challenge. When you are still in the trenches growing your business, it's hard to step back and appreciate the successes you have achieved along the way.

I try to take home a pearl of wisdom from each opportunity, and I think from the Inc. 500 conference, my pearl is to enjoy the journey and appreciate the mini "aha" moments along the way that keep me motivated and moving in the right direction. I am building a successful franchise business that brings smiles to the faces of children and parents, provides lucrative jobs for hair dressers, and offers the opportunity for success and fulfillment to franchisees across the country.

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