Shockey is 25 years old and so is my son, Jack. From a kitchen table with Jack on my lap, I started Shockey Consulting (cleaver name, right?). At only 4 days old, he accompanied me to a wastewater treatment plant to make a presentation. All along the way, he reminded me of the importance of creating a place where I could do good things and be a mom. Over the years, he went to work with me and eventually contributed as a full-time staff member as an adult. Jack was a constant reminder of the importance of work-life balance and of how growing a small business is just as challenging as being a parent.
As I reflect on the past 25 years as an entrepreneur and parent, I can’t help but think about the similarities, despite being very different.
Responsibility and commitment: You are responsible for the well-being and success of something that depends on you.
Sacrifice: You invest a lot of time, money and effort into both, sometimes at the expense of personal leisure or other interests.
Nurturing: In parenting, you nurture and help your child grow and develop. In a small business, you nurture your staff, invest in its growth, and help everyone evolve over time.
Decision making: You must make informed decisions that can have a significant impact on the lives of others.
Financial stress: You need to budget, plan and ensure financial stability. When you are the only breadwinner, that stress is multiplied.
Adaptability: Both require a tremendous amount of juggling, prioritizing, and adapting to new circumstances. You have to be prepared for unexpected challenges and changes and be flexible to overcome them.
Optimism: You invest in the future, with the hope that your efforts pay off in the form of a successful business and a well-adjusted child.
Emotional investment: You’ll experience moments of pride and joy, as well as stress and frustration, in both roles.
Leadership: You serve as a role model and lead your family or team. You set the direction and tone.
Learning opportunity: Both teach you valuable life lessons but nothing like parenting teaches you about yourself.
Both endeavors have tested my resilience, courage, and optimism. It has demanded my time, energy, and resources. It has exposed me to stress, pressure, and uncertainty. It has also forced me to make difficult decisions, deal with conflicts, and cope with failures.
Shockey Consulting evolved to be a family of past and present staff members as well as clients and collaborators we’ve learned from, assisted, and grown to love – even the challenging ones.
But through it all, running a small business and being Jack’s mom for 25 years has been worth it – the two best decisions of my life. It has been an adventure that I would not trade for anything else — sometimes frustrating, sometimes exhausting, sometimes heartbreaking; but always rewarding, always fulfilling, always joyful.