Flying at low altitude from Nairobi into rural Africa in a four-seat plane, I viewed the seemingly endless wave of African life. Soon after passing small villages surrounded by cattle and farmland, we soared over a wilderness of motion filled with more animals than people. Animals I'd only seen in zoos and at the circus ran free below me in breathtaking variety.

Getting up close and personal with these creatures in the wild was one of the most exciting adventures of my life. I was not prepared for the realization that there was nothing between me and the animals except my camera lens. No fence, no guard, no cage bars or moat, nothing but our mutual awareness and respect for each other's space separated us.

Each new day in Africa presented new thrills. Even the wildebeest, as common in Africa as the grey squirrel is in Houston, set my heart beating fast. My guides taught me the animals' habits as well as their places and roles in the animal kingdom. For example, giraffes eat the tree tops, impalas eat the tender buds near the ground and gerenuks (long-necked antelopes) eat what's in the middle. Lions and cheetahs help feed vultures and hyenas; wildebeests hang out with zebras to take advantage of the zebras' eyesight; elephants fertilize the grass; and flamingos help keep the lakes free of algae.

Thinking about animals and their places in the natural order, their differences and their strengths, I realized how similar the traits of these beautiful animals were to the qualities needed to be a successful CLNC^® entrepreneur. Then I wondered which animal I'd want to be and why...

I want to be a baboon. Baboons are family-oriented and travel in small groups. They have strikingly human mannerisms. They keep each other well groomed, and the mothers play with their young and carry them on their backs to keep them nearby. With the baboons' style, I'd never lose track of my family. Baboons remind us that our families come first, no matter how much we love our businesses. They remind us to play daily with our loved ones.

I want to be a cheetah. The gorgeous cheetah with its exquisitely long torso is a stealthy, edgy animal built for speed. I am fascinated by how their long, beautiful tails help to balance them when running and how their dramatic black markings below their eyes reduce glare. The fastest land animal, the cheetah can reach speeds of 75 miles per hour for short distances. Cheetahs know their limitations and are deadly within their range. They don't overextend themselves on futile chases. I watched hungry cheetahs ignore wildebeests that would have made a tasty dinner, because they were outside the cheetahs' range.

Cheetahs are vigilant, constantly assessing their environment from vantage points such as termite mounds. They're selective, only eating fresh meat. A leopard or lion will eat meat that is two to three days old if nothing else is available. At the end of the day I want to be like a cheetah, moving stealthily from the best vantage point, avoiding futile chases and bringing new, fresh ideas to my entrepreneurial dinner table.

I want to be a hippo. Hippos are among the most dangerous animals in Africa. They cause more human injuries than any other animal simply because people underestimate them. They are graceful in their element (water) but appear ungainly on land. They don't have the best eyesight, but they can move very quickly when motivated. Like hippos I like to be underestimated by my competition.

I want to be a zebra. Each zebra has its own pattern of stripes – no two zebras are alike. Zebras remind us of the importance of being unique and of not letting anyone else define who we are.

Despite their bold pattern, zebras blend into the landscape easily. For example, lions (who don't see in color) look at a herd of zebras and only see lots of something. A lion can't focus on just one zebra to attack. In a group, the zebras' stripes keep them from looking like lion food. Wouldn't this be a terrific way to confuse your competition – to look larger and more intimidating than you really are? Or to keep them from focusing on you and your business?

Zebras are fighters. When attacked, instead of losing hope, they fight back, kicking hard enough to break a lion's jaw. I like to think I'd fight like a zebra for my business if necessary.

I want to be a giraffe. Giraffes are tall and graceful. Since I stand only 5'2", I wouldn't mind a couple of extra inches myself. Giraffes seem to move in unhurried slow motion – even when they're running. They remind me to slow down and breathe. It's hard to be graceful in a rush. I strive to walk (or run) through each business day as gloriously and gracefully as a giraffe.

Intensely curious, giraffes carefully examine anything they don't understand to see if it is a danger or an opportunity. Their long necks allow them to see far ahead – I imagine them peering into the future to see what's coming while there's still time to prepare and take action. I wish I could have been a giraffe 20 years ago when I started my business. I sure wouldn't mind being a giraffe today to see what the next 20 years hold.

I want to be a hyena. Hyenas live in large clans, sometimes numbering as many as 100 of both sexes and all ages. They like to have fun, yet they place great importance on alliances, organizing to mutually defend their territory. They compete effectively, even against lions, because they hunt cooperatively in groups rather than alone.

Forget what you think you know about hyenas. They aren't the scavengers I'd always believed. They are hunters that only scavenge when no other food is available. Hyenas may even rob lions of their kill. They are the perfect opportunists, always taking the path of least resistance, pursuing sick and young animals. They even eat bones and actually leave the ecosystem neater than they find it (I wish I could do that with my desk). Like hyenas, successful entrepreneurs know how to laugh, have fun and ally with others for greater effectiveness. A successful CLNC^® seeks out opportunities to enhance her practice every day.

I want to be a leopard. Leopards are powerful, solitary animals who are adept at resting and conserving their energy for the chase. With infinite patience they approach their prey so silently that they can get within five yards and pounce completely by surprise. Their quick, decisive moves allow them to successfully attack animals three times their size. They're capable of incredible bursts of speed, accelerating to full speed in seconds – all without caffeine. Successful entrepreneurs know the power of solitude. They know how to use their energy wisely. I love the days when I successfully attack three times more projects than most business people, especially when I don't need caffeine to do it.

I want to be a rhino. Rhinos are the army tanks of the animal kingdom. They move very deliberately, but once they are up to speed their momentum makes them hard to stop – an ideal trait in an entrepreneur. A rhino's hearing is much more acute than its eyesight. When feeding, rhinos move slowly – they eat, listen, eat, listen, eat some more and listen some more. Rhinos teach us the importance of listening, being deliberate and not rushing. Deliberately and patiently add more pillars to the foundation of your marketing plan, and your momentum will be as unstoppable as a rhino's.

I want to be a vulture. Although they're kind of creepy looking, vultures, the environmentalists of the animal kingdom, create life out of life's leftovers. Patience and persistence are their hallmarks. To find food, vultures communicate and network with each other. Once they locate a meal, they use air currents to circle high above with minimal energy expenditure. Then they will sit in nearby trees or on the ground, patiently awaiting their turn in the feeding cycle. I watched as many as 40 vultures wait almost two hours for small scraps left over from a lion kill. Because vultures lack pride, they can prosper on what other animals pass over. Successful CLNC^®s are humble, patient and persistent. They know how to network with others to find where the business food is.

I want to be a warthog. Warthogs remember nothing. Wagging their tails rapidly when they walk, they remind us to forget our troubles. They wouldn't win any beauty contest, but I think they're fun and cute. Anytime I want to ignite my sense of humor about something in my business, all I have to do is visualize a pack of warthogs crossing the savannah with their funny wagging tails.

I DON'T want to be a wildebeest. Wildebeests prosper despite being intellectually challenged. Three wildebeests will "hide" behind a single tree believing that if they can't see you, you can't see them.

They are also timid, slow moving and easily frightened. When panicked, wildebeests take care of themselves without cooperation, even injuring each other in their stampede. I watched three lions stampede a herd of over 1,000 wildebeests, easily killing one. That many wildebeests could protect themselves if they came together, but they don't.

Rivers are an object of terror for wildebeests. Hundreds can drown at a single crossing. One day I watched a herd of wildebeests at the Masai River. A group of elephants drinking at the river scared away the crocodiles and other predators. The wildebeests could have used this opportunity to cross the river, but their fear held them back. After the elephants left, the wildebeests finally crossed and were quickly attacked by crocodiles. Wildebeests make the same mistakes over and over.

Interestingly enough, these "stupid" wildebeests outnumber the other animals. For every wildebeest that falls, dozens survive. I would like my business to be as prolific as a wildebeest. Although I don't want to be a wildebeest, they sure taught me the importance of doing what they don't do – cooperating and seizing opportunities.

I want to be a lion. I especially want to be a lion after seeing a pride of 18 lions, including 14 cubs. Watching them, I realized that lions are the original family business (although the male seems to sit around a lot – which I'd change pretty quickly).

The queens and kings of the savannah, lions are the most powerful flesh eaters. They have no natural enemy except man. All other animals fear and keep an eye out for lions. Lions are heavy cats and can't run fast. But they hunt communally to make up for their lack of speed. I watched three lions stalk and take down a wildebeest, then share the goods.

In their family unit lions can be quite playful. I watched a young male lion play with two cubs for over an hour, wrestling with them and being pounced upon. The game ended only when the mother came along to take the young cubs hunting.

While females stay in one pride their entire life, males get kicked out as they start to mature. This helps keep the pride strong by discouraging inbreeding. This strategy reminds us to look outside our own profession to discover and emulate the best practices of other professions that can make our businesses even stronger.

Lions are lazy – especially the male who is quite content to let the lioness hunt for him. Lions sleep up to 20 hours each day, and nothing dares to wake them. The lion reminds us to delegate and just take it easy sometimes.

A lioness will let her cub starve before she starves. A female will abandon her young to search for food. She can always have more cubs. But what's the point of saving a cub if she herself starves? The lion reminds us to let go of those difficult clients who hold us back from hunting for more and better clients. Strive to be a lion, and you'll be the queen or king of your market.

I want to be an elephant. Elephants are my favorite entrepreneurial animal. Their sheer size alone (up to 6 tons) is daunting and wins respect from EVERY animal in the ecosystem. No animal except man messes with them. The elephant's size gives it the freedom to go where it wants. Within the animal kingdom (man excluded), the world belongs to them. Even the largest crocodiles among a group of 30 who killed a wildebeest just minutes earlier wouldn't dare approach the 10 "ellies" I watched crossing the river.

Although these huge animals dominate their territory, they never misuse their power and strength. I witnessed a rare sight: two elephants allowed warthogs to drink from their same water hole during the dry season. Even though elephants could be strong predators, they are humble vegetarians who don't go looking for a fight. They only attack to protect themselves and their family. If necessary, they can take on anything, including a Toyota Land Cruiser. Before attacking, they usually give a verbal or visual warning (spreading their ears or shaking their heads) to back off. Successful entrepreneurs are strong, but never abuse their power. Like elephants they know how to protect their territory without preying on innocent victims.

Elephants are fiercely loyal to their herd or family (and it's a matriarchal society). They place huge importance on family relationships, traveling in herds, caring for each other and helping their wounded. Elephants will even feed their own if necessary. Often when one lags behind, the others encourage it along.

When an elephant dies, others cover its body with branches and seem to mourn its loss. Although they pay no attention to the remains of other species, they always respond to the skeletons of another elephant, inspecting, touching or moving the bones, sometimes picking them up and carrying them for some distance. The offspring of a deceased elephant often recognizes the bones of its mother.

Elephants revere their old. In fact, the leader of the herd is the oldest female. Successful entrepreneurs respect the wisdom of those who have traveled before them. The members of our NACLNC^® community are the elephants of legal nurse consulting. We are each other's family. I'm fiercely loyal to nurses as I strive to leave behind a legacy that beautifully represents them.

At the Vickie Milazzo Institute we have our share of elephants, leopards, zebras, and cheetahs, but not one wildebeest. When I returned home, I thought I'd miss Africa, but I found out I already have a little of Africa around me every day.

Africa is home to a vast variety of animals. When God populated the world, he gave each creature its own identity, traits, strengths and weaknesses. God also gave humans the diversity we bring to business, home and family. In creating my own business, I've used the best qualities of each of these animals. I want to be an entrepreneur because I can use all these traits to run a successful business. So can you.

Off to feed the animals! Vickie L. Milazzo, RN, MSN, JD

For my African animal photo gallery click here.

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