Wednesday Wisdom: Seeking Green

I crave green this time of year. Like the sea foam green ocean waters of Sanibel Island or the rich green maple leaves in full bloom in May. I relish any chance to see blades of thin green spikes arising from the ground and the tiny stalks of wild onions poking out of the soil. Green soothes my sole like aloe. It might be the reason our third room in our humble abode was painted in its soothing shade over the weekend so in the depth of colorless winter I can feel the outside within.

February is also a time of year when women entrepreneurs crave the green of money. Holiday sales are long gone and consumers slow their purchases as if they are squirrels tucking away their cash until April when the barren environment finally produces food again. Surviving a frozen winter in Upstate New York isn’t a challenge just for animals but for small business owners who must constantly sell to potential clients on gloomy, snow laden days on slippery roads and below zero temperatures. It can be tough to heat up our sales skills when consumers are dormant.

As any good New Yorker knows, we are stronger and more durable because of our environment. When the going gets tough, we keep on going. We know how to survive in inclement weather and unpredictable economic markets. We live here for the beauty of contrasting seasons and enduring daily and seasonal changes in nature, life and business. As a onetime Boston marathoner, February feels like I arrived at Heartbreak Hill knowing there was one long climb to the peak only to finally descend to the finish line with no more hills in sight.

How sweet the moment is when you turn the corner in any hard fought battle whether it’s getting another winter month under our belt, being awarded a contract after months of proposals, or implementing new goals and strategies. Our upstate vegetation doesn’t grow on its own over time but rather with a combination of dormancy, nutrition, warmth and right timing. We can’t force a bud to grow; it must appear at its own time. We must also arise at our own time to renew and reawaken financial and first quarter goals after our own hibernation.

Today’s Wednesday Wisdom will hopefully inspire you to focus on recent “green” opportunities that have come into your business. Perhaps you will be encouraged to bring in more revenue as winter starts melting to spring. Maybe you’ve been in the midst of your own “Heartbreak Hill experience” only to appreciate its final descent. Don’t leave this recent season without recognizing what you learned, what changed, and what you still need to do to prepare yourself for a rich green spring full of abundant opportunities.