When I was thinking of starting the company, I felt like I was pregnant with the idea. Thinking about the name for the company was such an important event.
At the time of launch, there was a huge fanfare and of course, a lot of anxiety.
After we started and got our first set of customers, then came the phase with sleepless nights. I was up all night completing timely delivery for the clients.
My company offered every possible experience of having a baby. Or so I thought.
When me and my wife would discuss the idea of having a baby, I would always end the conversation with, “hang on for a few months, let my first baby settle down”.
It never did. At least in my mind, it never did.
It grew bigger, yes, but it always needed my attention. The bigger it grew, the more time and energy it sucked. I started feeling drained and exhausted. 3 years went by, and the company never felt settled.
I figured I was doing something wrong. I read several books, consulted experts and tried to find a solution. It seemed like the only way out was within. I decided to change myself.
I was not in the middle of the action any more. I watched from a distance. I withdrew emotionally. I was still very involved, but I was not absorbed. We made some changes in our operations, but the biggest change was in our minds.
Suddenly, things were not happening to me, I was making things happen. The company is not yet settled, that doesn’t unsettle me.
Today, the company runs perfectly well, without me going to the office. The clients are happier, the employees are happier and I am happier.
In June 2019, my wife delivered a baby girl. I was able to free myself long enough to spend significant time with my new family.
When she was born, we were anxious. We named our daughter Ruhee with full fanfare. And yes, she also keeps us awake. But when our little girl smiles, it means the world to us. Never was the company able to give me this kind of joy.
If you don’t have your own company, you have no idea what it feels like to have your own company. If you don’t have a baby, you have no idea what it feels like to have a baby.
