Gratitude for my Business, Community, and Clients

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving tomorrow, I wanted to take a moment and talk about gratitude. This is something important but often neglected in the entrepreneur community.

grat·i·tude/ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/
noun

the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

Every year around this time, there seems to be an outpouring of gratitude for family, friends, health, and even delicious meals. Of course these things are important and worthy of appreciation each and every day, but has it ever crossed your mind to show gratitude when it comes to your business?

It has definitely crossed mine, and this year I am feeling especially thankful for my business, my creative community, and my amazing clients.

My Business

2019 has been a year of exponential growth for Assimilation Designs. I started this year unsure of what direction my business was going to go in, especially because I was still in the process of rebranding. But I quickly realized I had a lot to look forward to.

One of the best decisions I made this year was investing in myself. By that, I mean dedicating considerable time and effort to improving my business and taking full responsibility for my role as a business owner. It’s easy to get caught up in the facade of owning a business and forget that we still have to put in the work if we want real results.

My Goals and Takeaways

My goal this year was to become more aware of who I am as a business owner, embrace and learn from past mistakes, and be willing to try new things outside of my comfort zone. For me, this included taking a branding course*, joining a a mastermind, and attending a virtual summit.

A major takeaway for me this year is accepting that success is rooted in failure. It sounds pretty crazy, right? But it’s true! In order to be successful, you have to be willing to fail. And I don’t mean just a little bit. I mean that fall flat on your ass kind of failure. The kind that makes you want to throw in the towel and the whole kitchen sink.

Failure is not a fun part of the process but honestly, it’s not supposed to be. Once you’ve been there and experienced it, you quickly realize that you don’t ever want to be there again. When you have that kind of fire lit under you, it pushes you to try harder and keep going. That’s the true definition of perseverance.

I used to be afraid of failing. Now I see it as planting a seed for something better, and I am definitely grateful for that.

*If you’re interested in taking Rowan Made’s Branding with Bre course, you can use my code BWB25 for $25 off!

My Creative Community

The creative community never ceases to amaze me, and it’s allowed me to make some incredible friends over the years. I have said it before, but being an entrepreneur can feel pretty lonely sometimes. We have to lean on each other and support the people around us. That’s where community really starts.

This year I made it a point to focus on building community. I encouraged people when I saw they needed it, and reached out when I felt like I could genuinely help. Sometimes I got crickets. But mostly, I got a lot of love in return. It strengthened my belief that we are absolutely capable of lifting each other up, instead of tearing each other down.

In addition to building community, I also noticed so many of my creative friends and peers doing wonderful things this year. People starting their own businesses, launching new products and services, getting engaged or married, starting a family, checking goals off their bucket list. It’s pretty incredible that we can share and celebrate those milestones together as a community.

I feel extremely grateful to be part of it, and really look forward to what 2020 has in store for all of us!

My Amazing Clients

It’s hard for me not to get emotional about my job sometimes. I have worked with so many amazing people over the last 10 years. Some of my clients have even become friends.

I am in constant awe that I wake up each day and get to do this for a living. People trust me with their business and their creative vision, which is something I don’t take for granted. I genuinely appreciate each project, referral, inquiry, testimonial, and every ounce of gratitude I have received over the years.

Watching my clients grow and succeed is the ultimate reward. It goes without saying that I could not do what I do without them. They are truly the backbone of my business and why I continue to do this. Telling visual stories is my passion, and they are a constant source of inspiration.

As a token of my appreciation, please enjoy a beverage on me! Just scan the following barcode at your local Starbucks to pay for your order. The card is already preloaded so there is nothing for you to worry about. Please enjoy until the balance runs out.

Happy Thanksgiving!