Photo: Tajana Mesic
BY TAJANA MESIC This time of year, butterflies can be seen flying in the skies all over Houston. The burnt orange Gulf Fritillary, the nimble chestnut-brown Queen, and the majestic rust-colored Monarch butterfly, the “Bambi of the insect world”. If you planted nectar plants in your garden, you might have a garden full of colorful butterflies and flowers. Our Texas butterflies feed on nectar from Milkweeds, Black Eyed Susans, Blazing Stars, Azaleas, Lilacs, Marigolds, Zinnias, Verbenas and Purple Coneflowers. The official State Insect of Texas is the Monarch butterfly. Monarchs start their lives as a tiny egg exclusively on the milkweed or butterfly weed plants. A butterfly is possibly one of the most beautiful things in nature - tenacious, colorful, elegant, resolute, adaptable and driven - all features of a great business. None is more beautiful than the majestic Monarch butterfly. To say that butterflies always looked like fragile creatures to me is an understatement. It seems like a strong gust of wind can tear apart their delicate wings. But did you know that every year, millions of Monarchs pass through Texas on their April migration North to Canada and on their September South migration to overwintering grounds in Mexico? Southbound, they fly over 2,000 miles, averaging 50-100 miles per day, on the quest to find a warmer home for the winter in the mountains of Mexico. Yes – the little Monarch butterfly that could! Just as a healthy Monarch butterfly is perfectly designed to fly and thrive in its natural environment, a successful business can take clues from the Monarch through all stages of its development. So how did the Monarch butterfly get that way feeding on only nectar plants? Each butterfly starts humbly as a tiny egg, deposited on a milkweed leaf by its mother. From the very start, the Monarch butterfly female must be judicious and find the milkweed plant to lay her eggs. Otherwise her offspring won’t make it. As the fragile egg is laid, it germinates for three days attached to the milkweed leaf. The little caterpillar works hard to suck the nutrition out of the leaf in preparation for hatching. Your business is the same. No business starts as a huge, well-oiled machine infused with millions of dollars of capital. It starts with an idea that needs to be fed properly to grow. One small victory and then another; it takes time and determination.
What do you need to do to survive the egg stage? The fragile egg needs to be planted firmly to get the right food early on. Be tenacious. Have enough savings to get you through the first six months without a steady paycheck. Find all the resources you will need to grow strong to get you to the next stage. On day four, the second stage of Monarch’s life begins when it hatches as a miniature black, yellow and white striped caterpillar. During this stage, the caterpillar sheds its skin up to four times as it grows to its full length of about two inches. For the next ten days, it must eat voraciously. As it feasts on the green leaves of the milkweed plant, it is most susceptible to parasites and predators who want to eat it – predatory wasps, Tachinidae, spiders, and ants. After the first six months in operations, your business is hungry for growth and still vulnerable. You have more clients and higher revenue. You also face more challenges. That is why setting a vision and guiding your company towards that goal is critical in this stage. Leadership must build commitment from customers and employees, leverage partnerships and resources. It also must make tough decisions. Stay hungry and eat what you can. Focus and grow. Growth means change and you must shed your “old skin” in time to allow for more growth. As your business expands, take a cue from the Monarch and make decisions that will sustain your business in the long run. To protect your investment, get industry certifications, work with experts, and join industry associations. There is no waste in nature. Most caterpillars eat their old skin to add nutrients to their new body. Learn from your mistakes and add strategic decisions and relationships to your growing business. Eat your skin! In its third stage, the monarch forms a protective covering called a chrysalis, or pupa. This pupa is shiny and green with gold speckles that look like a gold crown. Here is where the magic begins – from the inside out. When the time is right, the little caterpillar will crawl onto a fence post, a leaf, or a twig – anything that will shield him for the next ten days of transformation. Once it finds the most suitable location, it weaves a small silk button, which serves as an anchor to later hang by its hind legs. When it feels secure, it drops into a “J” position and after a day turns into a jade-green chrysalis, shedding its www.hummagazine.com
August/September 2013