I want to share something personal with you-my son, Yehuda Leib, took his first step recently. Needless to say, we were all unbelievably excited. But that moment started me thinking about what lessons I could take away, as a business owner, from this huge milestone.

Naturally, it was a great moment for our whole family. We all clapped while Yehuda stood there, stretching out his right leg, smiling proudly. But of course, the moment didn’t last long. Yehuda lost his balance and plopped down onto the ground.
Here’s what I noticed, though_ falling down didn’t stop him from getting up and trying all over again. Because that’s what babies do—they try and they try, and then try again until they have mastered the art of walking.

Watching Yehuda’s first attempts to walk made me think about the kind of wisdom that we, as business owners, can learn from babies_

• Nothing’s ever easy the first time
• You have to practice, and then practice more
• Falling is part of the process
• Only after you’ve mastered the first step can you move on to the second

Pioneering psychologist Abraham Maslow liked to say that “In any given moment, we have two options_ to step forward into growth or to step back into safety.” Just as Yehuda Leib learned, stepping forward isn’t always graceful_ sometimes it ends in a belly flop or on his (fortunately well-padded) tushie. But it’s the only way to grow.

As much as we often wish we could skip the more difficult stages of running a business, there’s no fast track to becoming an expert. But just as our family stood by cheering Yehuda on, ready to help him out if he ran into trouble, sometimes having the right people on the sidelines can make those first steps significantly easier.

When clients come to me with legal issues, they often feel like they’re in free-fall, like things are moving in a downward direction and will never turn around. I do my best to help them remember that falling is part of moving forward. And beyond cheering them on, I also do my best to ensure that those steps are as smooth as possible, with as much support as my team and I can provide.
We all need help from time to time—and knowing when to ask, and who to ask, is crucial. Sometimes, having the right people standing by makes the difference between a belly flop and a confident stride in the right direction.

If there are any issues that you believe are holding your business back, call us so we can give you a hand—and get your business moving in the right direction again.

**If you have any questions at any time, or to receive even more winning legal tips to help your business avoid common pitfalls, contact us at (212) 661–7010 or (973) 365–2770 or email me directly at edsmith@edslaw.net.