Tips on Building a Successful Business…From a Finch

A few weeks back, a finch began building a nest in the wreath attached to my front door. For those who aren’t familiar, a finch is a small but mighty songbird with a rounded head, compact body, and short neck, weighing about half an ounce. I watched in awe as she meticulously and strategically built and fortified her new home, twig by twig. She worked tirelessly over a few days to create the strong foundation for her new residence, where she would quickly build a family.

Her finch partner joined her on her ambitious quest. For a week, they protected their perfect nest from competitors who wanted to usurp the special location they had claimed. Once confident in their stronghold, she laid an egg…and then a day later, another…and another for a grand total of five eggs.

Over the course of two short weeks, she managed to build a home and start a family. She accomplished in days what would take most of us a decade to complete. But that’s not all.

Each day, she watched over her eggs, and with the help of her finch partner, they protected and secured the eggs from predators and outside forces that could do harm to her future offspring. Not once did she take her eye off her eggs. Not once did she lose sight of her mission. Not once did she waver from her commitment to building and sustaining this daunting undertaking. Finally, about 12 days in, one by one, the eggs hatched.

The productive bird

We often think of the cheetah as being the fastest animal. We think of the lion as the king of the jungle. We consider the shark to be the fiercest. But in my book, I will take the finch over them any day, as I feel it is the most productive. When I’m not closely monitoring the progress of this finch family, I’m CEO of a mission-driven technology company that helps American workers live a better financial life. The lessons I glean from the finch family, I now use and share with my team. Fun fact: A group of finches is most commonly referred to as a charm of finches.

You see, we can all learn a great deal about how to succeed in business from the finch. When I look at how fiercely dedicated the finch is to building, defending, competing, and nurturing, I’m inspired. The focus and steadfast commitment the finch has to bringing its mission and vision to life is how we need to approach jobs each and every day. The world can be a complicated place when you weigh half an ounce, just as the world can be a complicated place when you have competitors trying to steal your market share every day. However, when you are resolute in your pursuit and bring the same type of precision the finch brings to your daily tasks, there is nothing you can’t accomplish.

It takes a village

That said, we can’t do it alone. We must always remember to seek help, guidance, and support from our colleagues. Just as Mama Finch joined forces with her partner to help protect and fortify the nest, we need our coworkers to be there to help build, grow, nurture, and protect our business. Day by day, twig by twig. Sometimes it takes a village…or a “charm” to build something truly special, truly generational. And yes, it might take longer than a week to build your business to where you want it to be. Take it from the finch: nothing is impossible and nothing is out of reach when you believe in your mission. That holds true whether you are a multinational corporation with thousands of employees all over the world or a sweet songbird in a makeshift nest on a random door.