This guest post was written by Susan Payton of Egg Marketing & PR.

Don’t let the tantrums and finicky appetite fool you. My son Max is really Yoda in disguise. He has taught me many valuable lessons about being an entrepreneur, and I want to share them with you.

Don’t be afraid to mix paint.

Being a closet neat freak, I always cringe when Max dips his paintbrush in green and then blue. He’ll make an ugly mess! No one will like the picture! But I believe in creativity above all, so I bite my lip and sit on my hands and let him work his magic.

And you know what? His picture is beautiful because he wasn’t afraid to mix paint. Carrying this into being an entrepreneur, sometimes I am faced with things that are unconventional, that defy what I already know in my comfort zone. I take a deep breath and forge ahead, and I am always, always, always glad I took the risk.

When it’s “night night” time, close your eyes and go to sleep.

I love my business. I even dream about it. I’ve dreamed up some pretty good ideas while catching ZZZs before Max trounces in at 6 am. But I realize I spend the better part of my week working on Egg Marketing, so at night, I just have to table all my work-related thoughts until the next day. That way, I don’t wake up feeling like I’ve been working all night!

We all hear about separating work and family life, but let’s be honest. It’s really, really hard. Especially if you don’t mind working! But I’ve learned that in order to be 100% effective at my business, I have to step away from it sometimes.

Why work when you can play?

As work at home parents, I’m sure you can relate to running into your office to finish “one little thing” while your child is playing. When Max started playing with his bath animals and telling them they were in the “office” I knew I had to stop doing that. He’ll toddle in here and ask “what doing?” That’s my cue to close up shop and focus on something more fun, be it splashing in the pool or drawing a very rudimentary Dora for the 10th time today.

Being afraid (of bugs) never did anyone any good.

Max is afraid of bugs. And lizards. And fireworks. And facepaint (don’t ask, because I don’t know). We tell him over and over, “there’s nothing to be afraid of.” Do I believe it as an entrepreneur? Am I really fearless when it comes to bringing in enough money or taking risks that could grow my business? I’m trying to practice what I preach to him, though it’s tough at times.

It’s easy to make friends.

I’m an introvert at heart. I would have rather worn a diaper than gone to my first networking event, but I did, and I survived (network, not wear a diaper). And I found out that just like when you’re two, it’s pretty easy to make friends. People at networking events are friendly and approachable (and probably nervous like you). I’ve even made a few play dates as a result. They just involve coffee and business cards rather than sand and shovels.

Never let a little cold (or other obstacle) get you down.

Max gets sick a lot. I mean A LOT. Which means I do too, but that’s another story. The thing is, he keeps going and going like the Energizer Bunny when he’s sick. I guess it’s not until later that he will actually rest in bed when he’s ill. We make up excuses about why we can’t do things. We’re sick. The car is in the shop. We don’t have the money. But really the only thing holding us back from making our businesses grow is ourselves. Don’t see the obstacles as mountains but as anthills. Just step over them and keep going.

Being a parent and an entrepreneur isn’t as hard as it seems. We make it simple because that’s what adults do. But really, it’s child’s play. A two year old could do it.

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