This quote from Lessons in Chemistry hit me hard

I’ve just finished watching Lessons in Chemistry. Have you seen it? 

I loved the book and read it in four days while on holiday last summer. I was a bit disappointed at how much had been changed from the book for the tv adaptation, but that’s another story…

There’s a lovely phrase (which I can’t remember if it’s in the book or not) that the main character Elizabeth’s support and confidant Harriet says to her.

When she finally confesses that she’s struggling with her newborn daughter, Elizabeth says “I can’t do it.”

And Harriet replies:

“No one can do it. But then you expand. You think you can’t do it, and you do it anyway. That’s being a mother.”

And that really struck me. Well actually it made me burst into tears but that’s just postnatal hormones for you 😭

But it struck me not only because it’s true of motherhood, but also of business too.

No-one can do it. No-one is born knowing how to do it.

Just like for new mothers no-one is born understanding babies sleep, feeding and crying, in business no-one wakes up knowing how to package, price, sell and market themselves.

No-one can just immediately build a website, set up a mailing list, boss social media, write compelling sales copy or win over a room with a flawless workshop.

No-one.

But you’re a business owner now.

So you expand.

You think you can’t do it.

And then you do it anyway.

This is who you are.

And yes you do it ‘badly’, experimentally, curiously, sheepishly, naively, foolishly even.

You just start now.

And through those attempts you become someone who does it. You become someone who can.

No-one can do it.

And then you expand.

Let me know what you’re going to be expanding into doing this week. I’d love to know.