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My parents founded Smart Service, and as such, their endeavors have completely changed the course of my life. Their constant hard work and determination inspires me, and I love seeing how they handle themselves in stressful situations. I am grateful to have the parents I have today; they have given me the world and I am extremely lucky.
My parents work day-in and day-out, all to give me the best life possible. Their drive to get things done and improve their business constantly is beyond inspiring to my siblings and myself. I cannot even begin to imagine the time, money, and determination it took to get their business off the ground. The qualities that helped get them to where they are today are admirable and they embolden me to work even harder than they did to achieve my goals, from waking up every day to realizing my lifelong dreams.
I also like observing how they handle themselves when in distress. Although I have never started a business from the ground up, I would assume that along with hard work and determination comes a good deal of stress. The never-ending factors that affect the outcome of a company can have infinite branches, from who you choose to hire to a small marketing decision. One choice can cause a domino effect no one can predict, resulting in a tremendous amount of stress. In some ways, this is almost inevitable.
It is interesting to view my parents taking on their daily pursuits and troubles. They confront a situation, discuss it, determine a plan of action to overcome the issue, and execute the plan. I can apply this to my own problem-solving process to conquer my own hurdles with the best attitude to ensure the best outcome.
In addition to running their business, they have the burden of four kids—one in college and three in high school. As one of the high schoolers, I understand only a fraction of the difficulty of parenting one child, let alone four. Food, education, and extracurriculars can become extremely overwhelming very quickly, to say nothing of the daily challenges and issues demanded by a growing business. The weight of all parts and pieces of their lives combined amount to a tremendous amount of stress and/or pressure. I cannot begin to imagine the range of thoughts filtering through their minds, from "when is soccer practice?" to "what needs to happen at work today?" Their brains must be going a million miles an hour. I am awestruck at their management skills and calm in the most overwhelming situations.
Another lesson my parents have taught as business founders and parents is to stand up for yourself. I understand along the journey of building a business, compromises may be made. But, being strong-willed and standing up for myself will get me farther than anything. Their determination to maintain their business—down to the smallest details—can make the biggest difference. They did not settle for mediocre and neither should I. I now understand that I need to stand up for what I believe and not settle for mediocrity on my journey to achieve my goals.
Although building a business can get stressful and time-consuming, they have not failed to mention the happiness and fun that comes with it. From finally finishing a project they have labored over for months (or even years) to reaching a vantage point they have imagined and only dreamed of since starting their business. Reaching their goal is what they started their journey for. I love watching all the time, stress, tears, and bumps in the road give way to a real, tangible achievement.
Of course, even when they realize a goal, they remain unsatisfied. They strive to improve every aspect of Smart Service to the best of their ability; they strive to do BETTER. As their child, it is empowering to watch firsthand the way they handle stress, push through the last barrier to realize their goals, and constantly strive to be the best they possibly can.
