Over and over in my job I’m impressed by the courage of the people in this Great Harvest family. Each time I meet a candidate at Discovery Day, talk with a new bakery owner learning to run their small business, see the photos of a Grand Opening or hug an experienced Great Harvest owner at our annual meeting, I’m reminded of the leap of faith it takes to start a business. How did they overcome the fear, uncertainty and doubt?
Of course the answer is different & unique for each bakery owner. A common theme, however, is that the training and systems of the franchise and the knowledge base of the years of experience and wisdom from the 200 other bakery owners provide a safety net. But others who understand these same benefits, don’t make the leap, so why not? Are some people just naturally inclined to be entrepreneurs?
I recently listened to an interview in one of my favorite podcasts with an author, Jonathan Fields, who has attempted to answer this question. He concludes that there are skills that can be learned to “lean into uncertainty.” And it’s not just for the business owner – anyone creating something new can learn to “reframe uncertainty, risk, and exposure as allies for creating and innovating on a level you never thought possible.”
Jonathan includes a graph in his book that caught my attention. The picture helped me understand how uncertainty decreases over time, but not always linearly. Here’s my thoughts on how this applies in the first 1-2 years of a new Great Harvest bakery owner:
I must admit I haven’t finished reading Uncertainty yet, but I thought I’d share this video created by the author that struck a chord with me.
Ghosts, goblins, jack-o'- lanterns and starting a business – too scary? Or something to embrace?
