Independence and a year of celebrating

In an email I received from Drew McLellan of the AMI, Agency Management Institute, he reflected on the philosophical question of independence. He also related Independence to business owners and their choice to be “independent”.

“One of the best parts of owning your own agency is that it’s yours. You get to run it the way you want. But to do that, you have to push past that nagging little voice in your brain that causes you to doubt yourself. It can fuel any tiny concern you might have so that little flicker becomes a roaring fire.” Drew Says.

It got me thinking about my own story and why did I choose the unpredictability of business ownership vs. the assuredness of a weekly paycheck and the benefits of a staff position. And the answer is just that, independence. While I have not been alone on this journey of the past 31 years owning KGI Design Group, I cannot deny the flexibility it as afforded me. Being able to create and maintain my own schedule from running a home office in the beginning when my children were little to having a reliable staff that could lead and complete projects so that I could be with my dying mother. These to me are trade-offs I could not replace. However just like our forefathers experienced, it does come at a price. There is no one sending over supplies or support when you need it. You are on your own now and must figure out a way to make it. Work hard, dream big and be nice to people is my motto. So I chose independence, with its ups and downs, it’s struggles and accolades and just like our country doing the best I can at the time, pivoting when I see things not going in the right direction and celebrating all that we have accomplished.