by Susan Walsh, President and CEO, Sales-Link Inc.
I love the build-up to celebrations and holidays, just as much as the holiday itself. That must be why thoughts and memories have consumed me this week before today, July 4th!
Building our business took so much time - time away from my family, away from the Jersey beach, away from casual trips and vacations. Yet I don’t think I would change anything, if I were to do it over again, because that is just how I am made. Perhaps in another lifetime, I will be more carefree and less goal-oriented, and business focused, but for this life, this is who I am.
Recollections that keep coming to mind over summer holidays, are fond memories of a staff member who has been with me for nearly 10 years. Marie…well, it seems that she was always by my side for Memorial Day and July 4th. In my flashbacks, Marie is laboring over the giant task of conquering massive uploads into our database (which was never easy!) We were continuously working with our developers to make our system better, and with that comes that nagging feeling of “never being satisfied with the status quo.” It felt like we were always "under construction,” but that didn’t matter to Marie. She would just somehow always be there, working with me, to ensure our clients had what they needed after the holiday was over.
It is these kinds of memories that make being a small business owner so worthwhile. To see someone take such an interest, and to want to be a part of something you created… It really does allow you to feel that you are living each day, moment by moment, and the appreciation just fills you up. This is all I really need…it’s just enough for me to feel rewarded and accomplished.
We have had some new workers join us recently, and I’m sure that’s what compelled me to sit and write this short blog. The enthusiasm, dedication, and diligence I see in these young faces brought back the memory of Marie’s mad-dog persistence; I think we might have some more memory-makers on the rise!
