What do an avocado seed and your brand have in common?

My 10 year old daughter grew an avocado tree from a seed of a bulk pack of avocadoes I bought from Aldi.

That sounds absurd, right?!

First of all, whatever would possess a child to spend their time doing such a thing?

What made her believe it would actually work?

How did she know what steps to take? 

I remember attempting a similar feat as a child. I stuck a seed in a pot of water for about two months. Guess what happened? Unsurprisingly, it turned a vomit-worthy hue of green, slimy and stinky, and I distinctly remember the shriek of my mother finding such a tragic specimen in my bedroom.

But back to my green-thumbed daughters’ propagation success.

The process of propagating Benny

During the final few weeks of the school term last year, she randomly asked me, “Mum, can I please use an avocado seed to try and grow a tree?” (internally high-fiving myself at this point for her impeccable manners). Remembering my own such experiments as a child, I thought, “why not?”, expecting its fate to be the same as my own disastrous avocado growing attempt.

I quietly observed as she intently re-watched the YouTube video she’d apparently been studying. She prepared her seed and popped him (we now affectionately call ‘him’ Benny) in a dark place in the pantry then set a timer for a few weeks’ time. Quite honestly, at this point, I shrugged and thought that was that. She’d forget about it and I’d find a delightful surprise in a few months time.

Not so. Kids from this generation are far more clever than we give them credit for!

She followed each step meticulously. Patiently waiting days and sometimes weeks between the steps. For about a month now, I’ve had an avocado seed propped up by toothpicks bathing in a glass of water on my kitchen bench. I gently prepared her for Benny’s certain failure. But she told me to calm down and “just wait mum”.

So I did. And to my surprise, one day that little seed grew a root. We celebrated. We danced in the kitchen. Then we watched every day as Benny’s root grew longer. And then his root grew baby roots.

She diligently topped up his glass of water as it evaporated during the hot weeks of summer.

And after an eternity of anticipation, last week Benny grew a stem. I seriously couldn’t believe it. He’s getting ready for potting now, and I could not be more proud of my little green thumb baby girl.

What can you learn from a faithful heart?

In this 100% true story, my beautiful child represents the typical new business owner – a dream in her heart and a big vision on her horizons. Her little Benny represents her brand. At first just a seed; an idea; a belief. He needed someone to tend to him, have faith in his success and follow the exact steps he needed to thrive.

And me? I’m feeling sheepish to admit that I represent the doubters. Whether internal self-doubt, or external nay-sayers, you will of course experience some people in life who will just not quite understand what you’re doing. Don’t listen to them.

Your brand can thrive, just like Benny

The moral of this tale is that anything you apply yourself to is entirely possible, including your business success. In fact, with the right care and attention, patience and focus, your brand can thrive. But how do you know the correct steps to take? What is the magical process that is going to deliver you through the founding years and out the other side to your business utopia?

Most business owners flounder around for the first few years in business. It’s confusing. You second guess your pathway and often end up spinning around in circles.

Discover crystal clear brand direction

I designed my signature brand foundation course, Brand Alchemy to set your brand up for success, with clarity and confidence you’ve been seeking and know the right direction to set upon.

Enrolments open this Wednesday 8 February, and to celebrate I’m hosting two free masterclasses (Monday 6 February 10am ACDT and Wednesday 8 February 12pm ACDT). Click below to save your seat!

Rach x