How growing a garden can turn you into a better entrepreneur

Business Tips

Oct 18

summer squash blossoms. Image from the garden of Los Angeles food photographer Sarah Ehlinger

I started a garden this summer. And I've kinda gone down the rabbit hole. Totally hooked. The only problem? I've had the smallest yield of produce in the history of backyard gardening.
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My herbs are going strong, but as for the rest... so far I've gotten 2 tiny banana peppers, one zucchini, 2 baby watermelon about the size of a softball, and a handful of cherry tomatoes. Yep. That's it. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Things are growing, sure, but there aren’t a lot of "fruits of my labor" happening.
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I'm hooked nonetheless.

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Mostly because now I've learned a lot about what not to do, and how I can improve in the future. In fact, I've started the second round of plants, and things are starting to look up.

The other morning as I was doing my daily garden inspection & sipping coffee routine, I realized gardening is teaching me a lot about entrepreneurship. ⠀⠀

Image from the garden of Los Angeles food photographer Sarah Ehlinger

In my business, I tend to avoid things that might make me look dumb or that I don’t know what I'm doing. I play it safe. Stick with what I know. What's been tested. Even if it's not what's best for me. And if something doesn't work out the way I expected or wanted it to, I shove that thing DEEP in the back cupboard. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
But what if that thing I abandoned so quickly and easily just needed a little more compost, or a nudge 2 feet to the left to get better light? What if a second dose of (all organic) fertilizer would have greened it up and put it over the hump?

Having 1000% trust that someday my counter will be overflowing with produce I grew with my own two hands has oddly given me 1000% trust that I can build a business that's overflowing too.

It just takes the right combination of soil, sun, water, nutrients, and care. Oh, and the most important ingredient: the willingness to plant a seed even if it never bears fruit. To take a chance. A risk. To be willing to look dumb.
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So what are you waiting for? The sooner you have a shitty season, the sooner you'll have an unbelievable season. Let's go!