Mother Nature: An Entrepreneur’s Personal Trainer

Tools clank to the ground as a dozen dirt smudged faces skeptically turn to look at me, the “jefa”— a young, blonde, gringa in the middle of the Mexican jungle. As I begin to bumble my way through Spanish construction lingo I feel the familiar, biking-straight-into-a-brutal-headwind type anxiety; am I making any progress? I take a breath and stammer onward.

This spring I oversaw the construction of Tailwind’s newest Casita Tejone. From the design, location, and financing to assisting and supporting the work crew, this was a tremendous new challenge for me. Every day I was asked a dozen questions and my gut reaction was to look over my shoulder to ask someone higher up on the ladder, only to realize that oh yeah, I’m the entrepreneur here — the boss, the jefa. I’m the one who has to make the decisions!

It’s now the middle of July. My builder and I just spent the past hour grinning excitedly as we admired the finished casita. I’m in awe of what we’ve created and even more in awe that I was the energy that brought this casita to fruition. As I vehemently thank my builder and the crew, I wonder to myself how Tailwind and I have gotten this far? Where did I get the skills to be able to do something like this? After a bit of thought, I realize that I largely have Mother Nature to thank for training me to be a hardheaded entrepreneur.

For many women (myself included) entrepreneurship is daunting. However, I think athletic women may be pleasantly surprised to hear that the time they’ve spent playing in the great outdoors has helped them cultivate an ideal foundation for the creation of their dream business. I’ve personally gleaned tremendous lessons and qualities from great successes, spectacular failures, and humbling challenges in the Mother Nature’s playground. Why take Entrepreneur’s 101, when you can just play outside?

SELF-DISCIPLINE

Remember the last time you really didn’t feel like it, but you made yourself go for a run? It might have been pouring rain outside, cold and miserable, but you still geared up and headed out. Or the last time you had to drag yourself to your yoga class as if it were a chore? Yet you still went, only because you told yourself that you had to. These are simple examples, but most athletic women are experts at self-discipline. They know the difference between what they “feel like doing” and what they “should do”. Sometimes what we feel like doing and what we should do are one and the same, but during the moments when they’re two very different things, self-discipline is crucial.

It’s no secret that self-discipline is key to success in entrepreneurial pursuits. You’re the boss and you’re making the decisions. Even when you don’t necessarily feel like it, you still make things happen. Training for a marathon was quite possibly the greatest lesson in self-discipline I’ve ever experienced. Luckily, the marathon runner in me will never go away and my business in the jungle is grateful for that!

HUMILITY

Most of you active women have undertaken a new athletic challenge at some point, whether it be taking your sport to the next level or learning an entirely new sport. It’s also quite likely that most of you have experienced some fairly embarrassing moments in the process! For me personally, asking questions such as, “which side of the surf board do I wax?” or “which is the front end of the kayak?” and moments such as tumbling through my first free skiing competition, and forgetting to unclip out of my road bike pedals in front of the VT state capital building, definitely didn’t move me up the “coolness” ladder. However, after frequently finding myself in humiliating and uncomfortable situations, I’ve come to realize that it’s just part of learning and working towards my goals. Athletic women learn how to untie themselves from embarrassing knots, shrug it off and keep on trying. Not only that, but these embarrassing mistakes turn into strengths. We can handle criticism and are humble enough to ask for help and advice. Throughout the creation of the Tailwind business I couldn’t possibly count the number of moments that my cheeks have discovered a new shade of red, but luckily this hasn’t stopped me and it won’t stop any other athletic women with a repertoire of embarrassing moments!

RISK

There were moments during my experience sea kayaking the Baja’s Sea of Cortez that I found myself questioning my sanity and gripping my paddle so tight that I couldn’t feel my fingers. Powerful, gusting winds and swells of over eight feet were terrifying in every way. Not surprising, I’ve found myself in risky situations in the outdoors rather often. Certainly risks and moments of discomfort are not intentional, but they are part of any adventure into the unknown. Owning and running a business is just like any adventure and it certainly involves risk. Going fast on your road bike down a steep hill is fun, just as spending money on a new aspect of your business is fun. However, both are risks. Assessing risk, weighing costs/benefits, taking proper precautions, etc. are all qualities that athletic women have and will benefit from in running a business. Not only that, but being in risky situations fosters courage, and you got to be at least a little brave to dive into your dream business!

PATIENCE AND CREATIVITY

Rock climbers know this game really well. Wait, climb, wait, climb, pause, puzzle your way out of a tight spot, climb on. People who train and compete with a team are also pros. Team dynamics can be a real challenge and all team members have to be patient and work creatively with their teammates to bring forth solutions and success. My personal experience with this comes from long distance endurance expeditions. Covering only 30 miles on the first day of what is to be a 2000 mile bike ride down the USA’s continental divide is incredibly daunting. Two months later I managed to make it to the Mexican border and undoubtedly, patience and the creative mind games that I played with myself played a huge role.

Running your own business is a series of bumps and hurtles that take patience and creativity at every turn. Athletic women know how to take breath, remain calm, not rush into anything and think their way through challenging situations. These skills are huge.

DETERMINATION

“I will cross the finish line, even if I have to crawl.” Ever felt like that? How about, “I will reach the top of that mountain, I don’t care how long it takes.” Yup, I can relate to both of those. Athletic women have caught the bug, big time—the goal setting, hard-headedness, determined, and yes, okay, stubborness bug. Once their mind is made up about what they’re trying to achieve, they are not turning around. Not only that, but once a girl’s had a taste of success, it’s kind of addicting! A 10 km race turns into a half marathon, which turns into a marathon. Upping the bar, raising the challenge. This is what it takes to be successful in running your own business. Set small goals and do everything in your power to achieve them, no matter how long it may take. The next time someone calls you hardheaded, think of it as compliment!

So there you have it — athletic women rock, as usual! Personally, I didn’t really know I had it in me to do what I’m doing in the Mexican jungle. I just sort of jumped in. Much to my delight, all of my athletic experiences have prepared me exceptionally well for the challenges I’ve faced.

So when you’re ready dive in and create the business of your dreams, I know you athletic women have got what it takes!

TAMARA JACOBI is the co-owner, hostess, website-designer, bookings manager, and expedition guide for Tailwind Outdoor, a family-owned eco-lodge and adventure tour company in San Pancho, Mexico. She is a lifelong athlete whose accomplishments include completion of 2 marathons, sea kayaking 850 miles down the Baja's Sea of Cortez, mountain biking 2000 miles of the USA's continental divide trail, mountaineering up Pico de Orizaba's 18,700 feet, and more. She is also a passionate trail runner and practicing yogini... {more »}