Learning from the Bruins

The following was previously posted, but went away with the site change.

Talk about a heartbreaker!

The Boston Bruins were seconds away from winning the Stanley Cup Monday night, only to have it whisked away by back-to-back goals by the Chicago Blackhawks. Our 13-year-old was inconsolable, and her parents were near tears themselves.

It’s not the first time Boston fans have felt the agony of something being whisked away just as it seems within reach. The 1986 World Series, for example. The  Patriots-Giants Superbowl matchups. The Celtics-Lakers showdown of 2010.

As parents, we try to find teachable moments in such disappointments. “You can’t always get what you want,” for example. “Everything can change in an instant,” and “Just because you want it, doesn’t mean you’ll always win.”

As small business owners, we have seen first hand that sometimes, you can work and work and work for something, just to have it evaporate just as it appears within reach. It can be the big client who changes her mind, the bank that won’t make a loan, the new product that’s a dud, or the unexpected storm that causes devastating property damage.

A few years ago, during the height of the banking crisis, our creditors told us they were reducing our line of credit from $50,000 to $5,000. Not having access to credit meant we were unable to purchase crucial supplies and hire needed staff. We had to stop, regroup, and look at what else we could do to generate revenue. We started working harder, much harder. We scaled back, cut staff, sold our house, closed a store. Only now are we starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We’re not there yet, but we’re getting closer.

We know the Bruins will come back next year, as will the Red Sox and the Celtics. And we know we are closer to receiving the financing we need to keep our business afloat. In the meantime, we seek lessons in our disappointments, and like all sports fans, we’ll wait until next year.