Ep 79: 5 Business Lessons from Inside a Waterslide

Aug 22

5 Business Lessons From Inside a Water Slide

My family and I love traveling and doing new things. I really love rollercoasters and water slides. Being a mom and a business owner, I don't get much time for that anymore. I was really looking forward to this trip, spending quality time with my friends and kids, and going on a bit of adventure with them.

We were at the water park. Some of the parents had left, and a couple of dads volunteered to watch the little ones. So, I decided to take my nine-year-old son, my five-year-old daughter (whom I had to convince it was safe and fun), and her six-year-old friend on the family-style tube ride.

The first time we went down the slide, my daughter was nervous but ended up having a blast. She wanted to go again and again. However, my son wasn't as keen on doing it repeatedly. Since the ride required at least four people on the tube, we persuaded him to join us for one more thrilling ride before he could do whatever he preferred. Reluctantly, my son agreed to go on the water slide again with us.

The Terrifying Experience

My son sat across from me, with the five-year-old and six-year-old on either side. As we began on the water slide, we encountered a small lip that caused us to get stuck. I believe my weight in the back contributed to the difficulty in crossing it. Some water entered the tube, but the guide didn't appear too concerned.

I saw my son sitting in the water and felt concerned, but we proceeded anyway. The guide pushed us down, and we started spinning. Not a fun spinning kind of ride, but rather a terrifying centrifugal motion. In fact, you are not supposed to spin on this ride. The children were horrified. We were spinning so fast they stuggled to hold on and I was desperately trying to keep them from flying out as we spun rapidly. I kept encouraging them to hold on, promising that it would be over soon.

The spinning continued as we went around twists and turns, going up the side of a big tube. It was challenging to keep everything together, given my tendency to get carsick. Nevertheless, I urged myself to endure it. After spinning intensely, we reached the middle of the water slide, where we stopped spinning and got stuck.

Typically, the heaviest person would naturally be at the forward part of the tube. I was at the back when we got stuck at this bump due to the spinning. The kids were panicking, but I felt relieved that the spinning had ceased. I knew someone would come to help us or I could figure out a way to get us down.

I tried to push us off the side using my leg, but I wasn't strong enough to get over the hump. I considered switching positions with my son to shift the weight, but I focused on reassuring the kids instead. My son later told me that he was scared, thinking about how high up we were and fearing that the tube might fall.

We remained stuck in the tube for some time, and I thought they would notice and come to help. Meanwhile, water continued to rush over us. I kept telling the kids that help was on the way but soon had to tell them to yell for help. They eventually turned off the water, adding to the sense of panic as it now felt hot and sticky. We were left wondering what would happen next.

The Options

Finally, we heard a guy in squeaky crocs walking slowly down the tube, who informed us that we had two options.

Option one: we could get out of the inflatable tube and slide down the rest of the ride on our butts or crawl to the bottom. Option two: he would join us in the tube, add some weight, and turn the water back on so we could continue the ride.

He went down the slide to assess the situation and decide the best course of action. While he was gone, I did my best to keep the kids calm, explaining how the slide was constructed and even making light-hearted bets on what option he would choose. The kids were dreading the idea of the water being turned back on and spinning again, so they hoped we would choose the get out and slide on your butt option.

After what felt like an eternity, the guy returned and decided to ride with us. He settled in at the front end of the tube, providing the necessary weight. However, when the water was turned back on, to our surprise, we still didn't move. The extra weight didn't seem to be enough.

After some effort, the guy managed to get us moving again, and we rode down the slide, soaked and scared but unharmed. The waterpark staff was kind enough to offer the kids ice cream and popsicles, and I had to fill out an incident report.

It would have been easy to let fear take over and decide never to ride that slide again, or even avoid all rides altogether. However, my adult logic helped me realize that it was a rare occurrence, and we were all safe and fine despite the scary experience. But for the kids, rationalizing fear can be challenging.

Facing The Fear

As a family, we decided that facing the fear was important, and the friend's family agreed as well. So when they attempted to ride the slide again, it was temporarily shut down for testing. Eventually, they managed to ride it with the dads, and despite being terrified, they bravely conquered their fears and had a great time.

Reflecting On The Experience

I shared with the kids how it would be an incredible story to share with their friends. It was a bonding experience that created a unique emotional connection between us. Shared experiences, whether positive or challenging, create lasting emotional bonds that cannot be broken easily. We now share a special connection with our friend's little daughter as well, thanks to that adventurous episode at the waterpark.

5 Lessons To Apply to Your Life and Business

As I was reflecting on the experience, I realized there were valuable life and business lessons to learn from it, which I want to share with you:

1. Your ability to control the experience is limited: As someone who values control, I find it challenging when things feel out of my control. I often gravitate towards my business as it feels more controllable compared to personal life challenges. However, it's crucial to recognize that even when we do the same things with the same people, the outcome can be vastly different. In business, this lesson is essential to remember when something doesn't work as expected. Instead of immediately discarding a strategy, product, or campaign, take a moment to assess the uncontrollable factors that might have impacted the result. By understanding what you can and cannot control, you can make more informed decisions and refine your approach without dismissing proven methods.

2. Sometimes stopping is what's best: In my experience at the water slide, we were spinning out of control, and getting stuck in the middle was actually a relief because it stopped the terrifying spinning motion. This lesson applies to life as well. As a go-getter and overachiever, I often find it challenging to pause or rest. I have a tendency to see stopping as quitting, and I push forward even when something may not be the best fit for my business or personal life.

However, I've learned that sometimes it's essential to pause and reassess. Instead of blindly continuing with a project or idea, taking a step back to evaluate its alignment with my goals and the effort required can lead to better decision-making. Sometimes, the best course of action may involve a change in direction, a different approach, or even letting go of something that no longer serves me. Taking the time to pause and strategically consider my options can lead to more successful and fulfilling outcomes in both business and life.

3. Have a plan for when things go wrong: In both business and life, things are bound to go wrong at some point. Having a plan in place for potential scenarios can provide a sense of security and help us remain calm during challenging situations. Just like at the water slide, I knew the workers had a plan for handling emergencies, and that gave me the confidence to stay composed.

While it's impossible to anticipate every single situation that could arise, we can still plan for common challenges and potential roadblocks. For example, in my business, I emphasize the importance of having a conflict resolution plan for communities. This way, when conflicts do occur, there's a clear process in place for handling them, and it prevents us from making hasty, emotional decisions.

Having a plan doesn't mean we'll execute it flawlessly every time, but it provides a foundation to guide our actions and decisions when things go awry. It also allows us to approach problems with a clear and rational mindset, rather than being overwhelmed by fear or chaos. When we're in a calmer state, we're more likely to implement the plan effectively and find solutions to the challenges we face.

4. Change Your Focus: Change your feelings: While many coaches discuss how thoughts determine feelings, I observed with the kids that they didn't necessarily understand their thoughts in the moment. However, they did know what they were focusing on. When they were fixated on being stuck and afraid, they felt panicked and cried. But when they shifted their focus to other aspects, like examining the slide's structure or making bets on how they would get down, they were able to stay calmer despite the situation remaining the same.

This lesson applies to both life and business. Often, we can get caught up in negative thoughts, such as dwelling on a missed sale or unsubscribes from our email list. But we have the power to change our focus and, subsequently, our feelings. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, look at the bigger picture and find the positives.

So, if you're feeling down or negative, ask yourself where your focus lies at the moment. By changing your focus to more positive aspects, you can shift your emotions and regain your capacity for productivity and creativity in your business. Remember, where your focus goes, your energy flows.

5. Get Back On The Horse: When scary or challenging situations arise, it's natural to feel the urge to quit or give up completely. However, our experience in the water slide taught us that even when fear was present, we were able to make adjustments and try again. The same applies to life and business.

When we face failure or setbacks, it can be tempting to throw in the towel and abandon our goals and dreams. But it's essential to be willing to get back on the horse, to persevere, and to try again. Failure is a part of life, especially for business owners and entrepreneurs. It could be a marketing campaign that didn't yield the expected results or an investment that didn't pay off.

A Support System Is Crucial

I hope you have supportive people in your life who will encourage and extend a helping hand when you need to get back on track. Having a community of fellow entrepreneurs is crucial for this reason.

I went through many years in business without such a community, and as a result, I made some poor decisions and struggled to bounce back from failures. Having like-minded business owners and entrepreneurs around me would have made a significant difference. So, I strongly recommend you prioritize building this support network because they are the ones who will help you when you face setbacks.

Failures are a natural part of business ownership and entrepreneurship. They might occur sooner or later, but having the right people to support you will make all the difference in getting back on your feet and moving forward again.