Yes, we almost let it slip by without recognition, and rather than feeling sad about that, we have to laugh, because we’re so busy building, living, and enjoying what we do that it almost seems like we celebrate daily.
That being said, we took a moment to reflect on some wisdom we might have gained over the last 15 years (honestly, where does the time go?).
In no particular order, here are our thoughts, and some lessons learned since we started this journey back in August 2006.
- Embrace abundance and prosperity. It can be scary when you don’t have many clients, but you have to trust that with hard work, focus and optimism, you will be rewarded.
- Not everyone is your client. Know what brings you joy and satisfaction in your job, and work with those who share your worldview.
- Find the balance - you’ve gotta hustle, but rest to recharge your batteries. Take a minute during the day to close your eyes and take a deep breath. Also, vacations are GOOD.
- Eat lunch.
- Schedule time for brainstorming. Carve out the time within a day or a week for creative thinking, to allow your business to grow and thrive.
- It’s much nicer to work with people you look forward to seeing at the beginning of the week.
- Embrace new technology, because it can free up your time to do the things you enjoy doing. Climb the learning curve!
- Find supplier partners that align with your purpose - you need to be able to ask for guidance and trust their recommendations so that you can meet your clients’ needs
- Everyone on the team should do what they’re good at, but they should all know how to help others when needed.
- Some will, some won’t. So what? Who’s next?
- Discounting is a race to the bottom.
- Don’t chase fads. Understand what your purpose is, and stay focused on who you are.
- There are two ways to make money - increase revenue, and reduce expenses.
- Clean AND disinfect.
- Don’t let anyone tell you how to spend your money, whether it’s minimum orders, or products that you need. It’s your business, and only you get to decide. By the same token, don’t put yourself in your client’s wallet and decide what they can spend.