Grow Your Business

Hello, you have A Way with Words.

Hi, this is Carlton Bailey from Lakeside, California.

Go ahead. What’s on your mind?

Well, you know, probably the last year or so I’ve been hearing these, probably radio ads mostly, that refer to growing a business, and it just grates on me.

Mm—

You know, to me, if you’re going to grow something, you’re a farmer and you’re growing crops or you’re growing a lawn or flowers in your flower bed, but you increase a business. You don’t grow a business.

Mm—

And that just strikes you strangely, huh?

Yeah.

You know, I know in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter to a hill of beans, but it just irritates me.

Isn’t there some kind of Gary Larson cartoon where somebody has a chicken farm and the guy’s planting chickens in the ground?

You’ve got me.

And you’re talking about really growing your business.

Kind of the same idea.

Yeah, I know what you mean.

I’ve heard this more and more and more, and when I first heard it at Carlton, it drove me nuts for exactly the reasons that you said.

But you’ve changed your mind about it.

Is that what I’m gathering?

I’m embarrassed to say that I used it the other day at Carlton.

Wow.

I’m sorry.

It just slipped out of my mouth, so I think it’s probably becoming more accepted.

And we do use agricultural terms.

Oh, because if Martha uses it, it’s okay.

I’m with you, though, and I got to say, Carlton, I can see where it’s a problem.

But you know what I like about it, Martha?

And maybe this is why you’ve come around to it.

It’s just kind of nurturing or mothering, right?

It’s a little more about the human side of business, if you use a word like grow instead of the kind of dry.

Well, Grant, maybe we should say I’m suckling my business.

Or you’re watering your business and then reaping what you sow.

Yeah, I think there’s just something weird about using grow transitively for a business.

That’s what you’re saying, right, Carlton?

I guess so.

You know, like I say, it just doesn’t sound proper to me to grow a business.

You don’t think of it as more humanizing?

Well, yeah, I think you’ve got to be alive somewhere, but a business I’m not sure is alive.

But a business is made of people, and I think saying something like grow suggests the kinds of things that you mentioned about growing, growing crops or a lawn or anything with chlorophyll or anything that you might actually eat.

I don’t know.

It sounds less about robots or interchangeable parts or widgets.

It’s more about people.

Well, I suppose if you said, you know, we would like to help the business to grow.

All right.

Well, I’m sure we’ll get emails agreeing with you.

Yeah, we’re going to hear about this.

But you know what?

You’re welcome to Gripen.

We’re glad to hear it.

Thank you for calling, Carlton.

Well, I’m glad to have a place to call.

All right.

Take care of yourself.

Call us anytime.

Bye-bye.

Thank you.

Bye-bye.

Bye.

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