Two weeks ago, the diaper fairy came for Archer.

It happened suddenly – in the middle of nap time in fact. The diaper fairy came while Archer took her Saturday afternoon nap, and she left with all of Archer’s daytime diapers.

The time had come to end our diaper era, and I spent the next few days following my naked 2 year old around my house and outside with a tiny portable training toilet.

Being fully committed to our daughter’s success in navigating this transition, I took a full week off of work to get this job done.

But naturally, the wheels were always turning. The past two weeks spent potty training Archer made me realize that there are quite a few parallels between potty training a toddler and running a business. So today’s episode will teach you these parallels, and, hopefully, leave you entertained, inspired, and if nothing else, feeling seen. 

The first way that potty training and running a business are similar…

You won’t think you’re doing it right, MOST OF THE TIME. But consistency is an amazing superpower. 

You turn your head for one second and things go haywire. You miss the opportunity. You snap and feel helpless and hopeless. 

For three days straight, I had no indication that anything we were trying with Archer was working. I was beating myself up, and wondering what other methods there might be out there, wondering if Archer was even really ready or this. 

But I stuck with it. Because my belief in Archer was stronger than my doubt in myself. 

The next way that potty training and running a business are similar…

You can’t do it alone.

I needed everybody involved, All hands on deck. Zeb was in on it, the big bro and sisters were helping me root for Archer and catch when she was starting to show signs she needed to go. The babysitter we had come watch them while we went on a golf date. The babysitter watching over them 

It’s so important not to downplay these contributions, and also to recognize and appreciate them. 

If you think you’re doing it alone, you’re probably missing out on an opportunity to appreciate and recognize somebody who is making what you’re achieving possible. There are the obvious people involved, like your employees or contractors. But there are less obvious people involved, like the people who are following you on social media, like your peers who are noticing ad talking about you. Acknowledge and appreciate these players. Be on the lookout for who is helping you, you might be astonished by how many people are supporting you that you just Arne’t taking the time to notice. 

And finally, just like with potty training, in business, you may have zero evidence that you’re making progress…

and then all of a sudden, you’re in an entirely new phase.

On Day 4, Archer was holding her cute little knees together and I asked if she needed to go potty, and she was like, YAH and whammy. She went! 

The pee accidents have been next-to-none ever since. 

In my business, there are a lot of things that I’m working on that I’m not seeing results for, yet. But I am confident that the person I’m becoming in the consistency, in the results my clients and students will get as they apply what we teach, those are going to result in this business being in an entirely new phase.

So remember: you won’t think you’re doing it right, most of the time… but consistency will reap rewards. You can’t do it alone. But,  there are more people helping you than you probably even realize. And, you may have zero evidence that you’re making progress… keep going, because all of a sudden you could be in an entirely new phase.

KEEP Taking action, and your business diaper era could be over faster than you even dreamed! 

As we wrap up today’s episode, I want to share a more personal update. Every July, in celebration of our first-born daughter Hudson’s birthday, we do a thang. We celebrate her too-short life as a family with an epic cake and small family gathering, and we raise money for the Forget-Me-Not foundation in Spokane Washington. This is an organization that helped Zeb and I create memories with our beautiful little red-head during the three days of her too-brief life spent at Sacred Heart hospital. 

They hired a photographer to take her photos.

They helped us make a mold of her precious, tiny feet. 

They recorded her heartbeat and placed that irreplaceable sound inside of a snuggly little teddy bear. 

The work they do is utterly essential, and it is funded by donations. 

You can help us support this incredible organization and honor Hudson Ruth’s world-changing life by buying a Hudson’s Heroes teeshirt, buying the Meet Baby Dub book on Amazon, or donating to the Forget Me Not Foundation directly. I also run a 5K every weekend in the month of July, rocking my neon yellow Hudson’s Heroes tank top, and I donate what would be ‘race fees’ to the Forget Me Not Foundation in her name. And as a business, we donate 5% of company revenue for July to the Forget Me Not Foundation as well. 

As a business owner it is my privilege to support an industry that I love doing work I adore. And it is my deepest honor to be able to give back through my business as well. 

It would mean the world to me, and to countless families suffering their darkest days, for you to join us in this cause throughout the month of July. Share Hudson’s story, share this podcast, run a 5K, buy her book, offer a smile, cherish the life you have because you are a once-in-a-lifetime event worth cherishing. 

And until next week, work hard, mom harder, love hardest and know that your life has already changed the course of human history.