Fourteen years in business: doing work I love and building a life around what matters most.
Here we are in October, and I’m two months late posting about how the business quietly celebrated 14 years on August 12. Some big things happened this year, not the least of which was getting CLCreative® registered with the USPTO. It may not seem like much, but it feels VERY official. As summer came to an end, I had all sorts of plans to mark the day: a blog post, a celebratory lunch, maybe even a pedicure (which has nothing to do with the business but why the heck not?!)
However, calendars got the best of me, and wouldn’t you know it, the first day of school fell on the very same day. Even the Monday and Tuesday leading up to the anniversary were packed with back-to-school prep: breakfast for teachers, welcoming new families to the school through parent presentations, client meetings and projects, and squeezing in the last few swims of summer.
I was quietly juggling work and life, with that week being a prime example, but then again, that is the very reason I do what I do… like, at its utmost core.
This job affords me a lifestyle that not only pays my bills but also allows me to take the kids for a midday swim, be actively involved in their school, and help clients run their businesses more efficiently and successfully through their websites.
And the thing is, I genuinely love the work. I love the challenges, the problem-solving, the relationships I’ve built with clients over the years, and the satisfaction of creating something that makes an actual impact for their businesses. The flexibility is an incredible perk, but just watch me geek out over solving a problem with code. The work itself is what energizes me, even 14 years later.
I’m proud of what I do, which feels weird to say out loud because it feels a little braggy, but after 14 years of building the business, I’ll say (write) it: I’m proud of the business that I have built that has allowed me to have the life I dreamed of of which I’d dreamed (hat tip to G-Joan and her grammar lessons).
It’s not always (read: rarely) easy; there are so many spinning plates that sometimes it’s dizzying, but it’s all worth it.
So maybe there wasn’t a celebratory lunch, a pedicure, or even a moment to properly acknowledge the milestone. But honestly, I can’t think of a more fitting way to celebrate 14 years than spending the day doing exactly what I built this business to make possible.
