Today is my birthday. What a difference a year makes. I have encountered some pretty significant change over the last 12 months. Work. Family. Relationships. Life. A few weeks ago I celebrated another Birthday. My company turned two.
Two years ago, I walked away from a great job. With a great agency. Filled with great people. I didn’t have every detail of the game plan mapped out. The timing couldn’t have been worse. The economy was in a free fall. But a little window opened up and I decided it was time to jump.
After 17 years of preparation, it was time to see if I could find the intersection between my passion and the paycheck. Around that time, friend and mentor Dr. Jack Phillips shared with me that the two-year milestone was a critical benchmark. He commented that most people don’t make it two years. Most people who try fail. That was a conversation and harsh reality I wouldn’t soon forget.
I appreciated Dr. Jack’s candor. I made the mental note. Two years. Still going strong. I have failed forward every step of the way. Mistakes. Missed opportunities. Starts. Stops. The occasional do-over. The constant reinvention. I didn’t know it two years or even 12 months ago, but I was simply Poking the Box (hint: if you want to do something new, make a change, have an impact…the new Seth Godin book is very much worth the read).
Figuring it out along the way. Eliminating what didn’t work and focusing a bit more on the good stuff. In taking inventory today it feels like a pretty special time. Different than I could have imagined. Better. A little more fun. I suppose that is part of the two year experience. A little less worry about what is next and where it’s all going. A little more appreciation for the moment that is here and now. For the opportunity to do this work. That opportunity is the gift.
Today, that here and now means North Carolina vs Duke in the ACC Championship and a large pizza. Hey, it’s my birthday! Tomorrow, it’s off to Chicago for a speaking engagement with CDW. Maybe I should hold off on that large pizza until tomorrow night? Looking forward to a great week! Planning on a great year! Thank you for being a part of it!
![[RYAN] Featured_Why Human-Centered Leadership Is the Future of Growth](https://ryanestis.com/wp-content/uploads/bb-plugin/cache/RYAN-Featured_Why-Human-Centered-Leadership-Is-the-Future-of-Growth-1024x538-panorama-78e9dc1762c564216c0e9d2780c005b1-.jpg "[RYAN] Featured_Why Human-Centered Leadership Is the Future of Growth")
