7 Things I’ve Learned* While Raising a Child and a Business

7 Things I’ve Learned* While Raising a Child and a Business

*application of learnings in progress ❤️

By Stevi Gable Carr

Photography by Natalie Brunsman Photography

I remember when my son, Lincoln, turned two. I recall looking at his cake-filled grin and thinking “how did this happen?” Time was FLYING by and I couldn’t stop it… and I didn’t want to. I vowed to Lincoln’s birth mother that I’d do my best to raise a great little human, but I could only guide and expose him to things that I felt would be of benefit. I knew that his success in life would never be wholly my responsibility. It would require a village.

So when I founded WISe I took the same approach. I created a solid foundation (to the best of my ability), vowed to use every tool at my disposal and build a community for support. Our first two years have been INCREDIBLE- reaching 33 states, 6 countries and 322 small businesses, creating over $1 Million in value.

Has it been easy? HELL ⚡️NO. No one talks about the number of tears shed in motherhood and business.

Has it been rewarding? MOSTLY, YES. Seeing the mini milestones achieved makes it all worthwhile.

Lincoln is now 5, and I feel fortunate to have front row seats to his journey. He inspires me every day, acknowledging the miracle of human connection and to leverage lessons learned into the growth of another living, breathing organism- WISe Wellness Guild.

Inspired by Maya Angelou’s “I’ve Learned” poem, I wanted to share my take on the parallels of motherhood and entrepreneurship.

1) Growing takes time and be grateful for the journey. Rushing the process means you’ll likely miss something. Embrace the failing, falling, getting boo-boos, making messes, regressions- you’re helping “it” find its version of just right.

2) Releasing (or at least loosening) expectations makes for a healthier relationship. Everyone is probably doing their best, and trying to control the situation will only lead to heartache.

3) Intentionally create healthy and flexible boundaries early and stick to them. “It” will take everything from you if you let it- it is up to you to be strong enough to withstand judgement. You are YOU and mother, founder, spouse, daughter, etc. are roles we play, not our identity.

4) Celebrate the milestones- even the small “wins.” Whether it’s a first step or positive feedback, let it sink in. You’re doing great. Keep going.

5) Your attitude dictates the vibe of the day. It isn’t important what happened- it’s how you react and learn from the situation moving forward.

6) Know when to walk away from a situation. Sometimes things just don’t work out, and that’s ok. Don’t let ego and “sunk cost” stand in the way of letting better things find their way. Embrace that plot twist, baby!

7) Sometimes “it” just needs you to drop everything and love it, unconditionally.