Know anyone with more than one child? Go ahead and ask them if their second born was any different than their first (other than the obvious gender differences). But be prepared to hear an earful!
As a birthing professional for over a quarter of a century, what I’ve discovered about second borns has become invaluable to me as an independent business owner. Consultants, coaches, and other service professionals can benefit from my observations of babies in the #2 position.
Here’s how I would describe second borns and how their characteristics can help you as a small business owner:
1) TOLERANT – I immediately notice this on the postpartum unit. All the other babies can be screaming their heads off and second borns will be snoring. Once they get home, they seem to tolerate noises and distractions from their big brother or sister, commotion at the neighbor’s house, cranked up volume on the television or radio, barking dogs, and loud sounds of gardeners and construction workers. As a business owner, you need to learn how to tolerate an influx and overload of unwanted emails, vendors who don’t deliver as promised, and the noise of alleged gurus touting the latest and greatest get rich quick schemes. And you sometimes have to bite your tongue and be tolerant of difficult people and rude or unhappy clients.
2) PATIENT – Right out of the gate, second borns are instinctively patient and seem to learn to wait their turn. Somehow they realize that mom and dad are still very busy with baby number one. And they don’t seem to be bothered by the fact that the first born in the house is and always will be the hub of the wheel. Independent business owners need all the patience they can muster up. Success doesn’t happen overnight. You have to patiently plug away, consistently and persistently in order to reach your goals.
3) INDEPENDENT THINKERS – Second borns are self-starters (and proud of it!) and they rarely need any help with their homework. Most parents find this to be a real blessing. In building and marketing your own business, you have to find ways to get your motor running every day, how to develop a feasible business plan and stick to it, and how to tackle problems and roadblocks. You have to be brave, confident, and use every ounce of “solo power” within you. Your success depends on YOU.
4) GREAT NAPPERS – Most second borns go home from the hospital and take two naps or more throughout the day. Some of them even sleep through the night early on. Amazing, isn’t it? They seem to put a high priority on leisure time and relaxation. As business owners, we could all learn a thing or two from this behavior! Time management is critical in business and so is the need for well-deserved breaks. If you don’t stop and re-charge your battery once in a while, you’re likely to get exhausted and give up.
5) HIGH ACHIEVERS – And no wonder! Second borns have built-in teachers at home that show them all the ropes. Imagine having someone near by all the time to mimic and model. As someone who’s trying to build a business, wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a built-in mentor? Someone to show you exactly how to do everything? Mentors are priceless. To see who’s helping me to successfully build and market my business, click My Rolodex of Resources tab at the top of this page.
All babies are precious gifts from heaven, but I think second borns have unique qualities that service professionals and other business owners need to have.
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