Every year, around the 3rd to 4th week of November, until the 1st week of January, business starts to slow down (unless you are in retail). We start to reflect on the previous months of the year. It's also a time to look forward to what's next.

I can tell you as you get older the time compresses and seems to pass faster. That's why I get so upset when they start pushing Pumpkin Spiced EVERYTHING in August, Christmas stuff for sale in September, and Black Friday sales in October!! Trust me, I get that it's all about business and extending seasons to increase revenues, but seriously, can we just pause a bit and give thanks on Thanksgiving?

Hey, if you are into that I am not here to judge. I am all good with you being you… but I digress!

Change

If you are on Facebook, you know how they pop up random memories in your feed. I most recently saw a memory of a fight I was having getting my new snowblower working. We were in the middle of rehabbing our house to put it up for sale in the spring. At that time we were all locked in our homes because COVID was peaking again. Vaccines had helped us get back to a bit of normal, but we were facing a lot of stress and change in our lives.

It was hard to believe that we were 6 months away from being homeless (kind of). There was still a lot to do while at the same time keeping a business running. We had 22 years of stuff to remove, sell, donate, and recycle. We had amazingly little that we actually threw out.

Our new home was being built so we had to find an apartment we could rent for 3 months that was pet friendly. We sold the house in June and moved to Raleigh blindly in an SUV with clothes, computers, and our dog Layla without ever seeing our living spaces (apartment or home) in person.

I Am Thankful For…

I am thankful for all the help we had, from Carol Heidorn (our home state and general contractor, and contractors John Monaghan, Curt Springer, Joe Flores, and many more). Also, I have to be thankful for the few friends we had in Raleigh who welcomed and acclimated us (including friend Chuck Hester and our realtors Jo and Richard Smith).

Stability

It's hard to do all we had to to make the change happen, but running a business with multiple very active current and new clients was not easy or calm, nonetheless CHAOS. I made the decision 4 years ago, that although being a solopreneur was flexible and agile, it was not stable. I listen to my own advice in my own books and used networking to start to build a team around me who were better at what I was doing than me. First, this improved the speed and quality of work and more positive outcomes. Second, it actually freed me up to focus on that one thing that I was better at than any of them… creative strategy and problem-solving.

I Am Thankful For…

I am so thankful for my business coach Marla Tabaka and thankful for my team. Project Manager – Laurie, Writers – Jennifer, Marc, Matt, and more, Developers – Michael and Kate, Designers – Carrie and Vicki, Analytics Analyst – Brenda, Email & Social Team – Julie, Svetlana, Lori, and (our new find) Erin, Photography – John, Video – Andrew, and all the others who jumped in to pick up the slack (in Asana ?), Emily, Hank, Robin, Pat, and Kathy. While my family was going through CHAOS, these people kept things rolling so smoothly. I am blessed to have their trust, talents, and terrific professional results.

Old

Let's face it (talking to myself) I have a millennial mind in a boomer body. Over the years I have seen some health issues crop up. This year was no different. It was the combination of stress, age, and maybe a bout with COVID (which I have never tested positive for). Yet I ended up in the hospital again this year and was diagnosed with AFIB. It's normal and treatable but did cause me to not be at my best or 100%.

I Am Thankful For…

Healthcare is very important and VERY EXPENSIVE. I was lucky enough to have a wife who worked for a company with a great plan and lived in Chicago with some of the best healthcare in the US. The move to Raleigh was also prompted by the fact that with Duke, Wake Forst, and UNC, there are some of the best research and healthcare groups in the country. I have found the system down here, faster, and yet more patient friendly. With a few tests and some meds, I can report I am back to 100% (or even better than I felt before).

New

Part of moving to a new area is that you have to start over again building local relationships, trust in businesses and vendors, and understanding the culture. The pace of life in North Carolina is much more laid back here than in Chicago. After more than 40 years of Chicago hustle, I have had to learn to work with the people, culture, and lifestyle.

I Am Thankful For…

I am thankful for joining the American Marketing Association (AMA Triangle Chapter) before ever moving down here. Chuck Hester told me that it's the best $150 investment in networking I could get in Raleigh (and he was not wrong). Since moving here, I have met Hank, Misty, Jennifer, Ben, and a past president and recent podcast guest, Stan Phelps. Did you know I like to golf? Stan took me to my first-ever night golf round (all the tees and greens are lit up like a football stadium).

Future

With all that has happened over the last year, I still have an eye on what's next. During all that CHAOS, I have continued to learn, listen, and live my best life. The business grew, I am golfing more than ever, and I am starting to get out and network more as I did in Chicago before COVID stopped all of that. My family is loving the area, the weather, and all the new things in our lives. I am excited to see what the next year brings and after the last 2 months (we moved into our new home around September 1st), I know it's going to be exciting, and filled with adventure and success.

I Am Thankful For…

You…

Thanks to my wife, dog (Layla), family, friends, readers, commenters, guests, clients, prospects, vendors (new and old), golfing buddies, musician friends, neighbors, and all the people in my social and business networks (all 10,000+ of you). The last year was filled with love, encouragement, faith, truth, and frequent reality checks! You bring purpose, pleasure, and occasional pushes, prognostication, and purposeful profanity that keep me moving forward!

Final Thoughts

Stan Phelps sent me a message the other day I wanted to share with you.
Thought you’d like this TEDx talk, Brian:

I did and I want to share it with you. It's worth the 12 minutes. If you think not, I will repay you with a visit to Waffle House or a round of night golf!

Comment below and share what YOU are THANKFUL for over the last year.

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast