Dear Anita,
It’s me, Anita, 25 years into the future.
It is August 2021, marking A. Bright Idea’s 25th anniversary. As I sit at home writing this letter, I can’t help but laugh thinking about our number one goal back in 1996: move the business out of the house and into an office. Spending this milestone back where the journey began certainly feels like a full circle moment and leaves me reflecting on the past 25 years with pride, gratitude and every other emotion under the sun.
Not to worry though, we did get out of the spare bedroom. In fact, we exceeded our goal by opening three locations from Maryland to California. Finding myself working back at home the majority of last year (don’t ask) truly showed me how far we’ve come. Gone are the days of individually doing all the client work during the day and all the billing, networking and proposals at night. While these temporary challenges made me uncomfortable in the moment, it’s what made me stronger and the businesswoman I am today.
Considering we thought this was just a temporary option before our next job, you may be surprised to know we reached our “silver” year. From having no one to bounce ideas off of, to achieving 10 employees to now collaborating with 35+ innovators and integrators within our full-service agency, I’m proud of the marks we’ve made and continue to make on the industry.
While enjoying the success, remember how lucky we are to reach this milestone and that it’s not just for us. Our success serves as its own little ecosystem supporting dozens of individuals and families. It really has supported our family too. That guy you met in high school and married; he’ll be joining you 10 years from now once the heavy lifting is over to share in the spotlight. It means a tremendous amount to see how your little idea now creates an opportunity for someone who is going to be a parent or an opportunity for someone to work closer to home so they can spend more time with their kids and family. These are the same things we wanted for our family. Speaking of family, it’s good you moved out of that guest bedroom because you’ll need it in a few years. Baby Madison gets a brother.
Knowing what I do today, here’s the biggest pieces of advice I can offer…
Who would have thought our little one-woman operation would go from the smallest ember of inspiration to bright ideas radiating out from sea to shining sea. Remember to take time to recognize your accomplishments and not get lost in the moment. Trust me, it all works out in the end.
Keep on shining,
Anita