🌟 From Zero to Three: 7 Unforgettable Lessons That Apply to Business, Inspired by Adopting My Three Daughters! 💼👨 👩 👧 👧 👧❤️

Four years ago, my life took an incredible turn as I became the proud father of the three beautiful girls above. It's hard to believe how much our lives have changed and how quickly it all happened. Today, I want to share my adoption story and celebrate the joy and love that have filled our home since that unforgettable day.

My wife and I were fortunate enough to foster-to-adopt the three most amazing girls in the world. The process was a whirlwind, and we went from having no children to suddenly having a new born, a three-year-old, and a four-year-old in our lives within just six months. It was an intense journey, both emotionally and practically, but it has been the most rewarding experience of our lives.

There are 7 lessons I learned from the adoption process that I think apply to business and life in general.

People say things, but don't let it change your direction. When we were going through the foster care training, many people told us horror stories... legitimate horror stories. At some point, it felt like every person we talked to warned us against going into foster care and told us we were crazy. To those people, I say... look at us now. 😜 Remember this when people doubt the business idea that you have, laugh at your aspirations, and tell you it will never work.

Being in charge is hard. Once we became foster parents to our girls, we quickly realized not only were we outnumbered but we also had to make more decisions than ever. Easy decisions, hard decisions, regardless, decision exhaustion will quickly set in. We found that by simply reducing the number of decisions that we had to make, life became easier. We had to make a conscious effort to focus on the things that mattered most. Which leads me to the next point - Focus. 🔍💪

Focus is key. With all the decisions that had to be made, processes that had to be followed, it was increasingly important that our focus didn't waver. When we first started the adoption process, the overworked and underpaid county worker told us it would be 2 years minimum before we'd get to call saying the girls were ours. I told them it would be 12 months. They laughed. It was 13 months, the fastest foster to adoption in the history of the county. Focus was the key. We were never late, never missed a deadline, knew rules that the county didn't even know. 🎯🏆

Sometimes curveballs produce home runs. When we first started fostering, we were fostering one teeny, tiny little baby. 5 months later, they called us and told us she had two sisters that needed to be with their baby sister. It was a MASSIVE curveball, but as I watch them play today, I never would have guessed that curveball would be the best possible outcome in the game of life. Don't let curveballs freeze you at the plate, you still have to swing. ⚾🏠❤️

Kids are resilient. Be like a kid. Our girls came from a pretty crazy situation, especially the two oldest. They remember things that no child should have to be exposed to. That said, they have friends, they laugh, they find joy in small things as well as big things. Sometimes in life and business, bad things happen, find the joy and keep moving. 😄🚀

Be human. I just want to let it be known that we used no AI in the adoption of our children 🤣. In all seriousness, a huge part of the process was just being human. We wrote letters to the biological parents against the advice of the case workers. We told the girls from the start they were being fostered. We told them their parents loved them, they just weren't capable of taking care of them. Being human and being honest will get you 100% further in life and business than doing the opposite. 🤝💙

Nothing is more important than family. Life is amazing. Life is hard. Business is amazing. Business is hard. Family is the one thing that should take priority over everything else in your life. Kids, parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and everyone in between. Spend time with them, love them. Life is short - surround yourself with love. ❤️👨 👩 👧 👧 👧

In the past five years, my journey as a foster and adoptive parent has taught me more than I ever thought possible. It's been a whirlwind adventure filled with laughter, growth, and endless love. So, embrace the lessons, keep a sense of humor, and remember that life and business are meant to be lived to the fullest.

#adoptionlessons #lifeandbusiness #familymatters #adoption #fostercare 🌟💼❤️