What have I learned since writing that “day 1” email a year ago? Well, turns out quite a bit :), I felt it was worth of a top 10 list for a year.

1. Anna, my wife, is and will be my best friend and co-worker, ever.
I always thought that we would be apart from 8-5 during most business days since my days of signing up for a full time job. There really isn’t a thing better in my opinion than getting to be home and spend as much time with your wife like I have the past year. I’ve been amazed how she listens, helps, encourages, and out smarts me on so many occasions lol.

2. Defining your schedule is hard at first, but worth it in the end.
I remember those first couple months trying to figure out a schedule that would work for me, our family, and and our clients. Once I found it, it made so much sense and has really given me such freedom to waking up early in the morning so that my afternoons are free.

3. I’ve stayed fresh by listening to good podcasts.
The days of listening to sports radio for me are a major thing of the past. I love listening to good marketing podcasts. Hands down the best podcast ever for me on business has been the Total Life Freedom podcast by Vincent Pugliese. It’s an awesome 5 minute daily podcast that has really kept me fresh and continuing to challenge myself to get better.

4. Being a small boutique agency is a great fit for me, and also pretty awesome.
Smaller to me means being faster, it means I can build better trust with the clients I work with, and being small gives me a lot of freedom as a business owner.

5. Vacations are just as important as a business owner.
I treasured our family vacations when I used my precious PTO and refused to take calls and emails when I was away. Our first vacation as a business owner I found myself opening my phone, responding to emails, and doing things that I would never do before. I quickly made an adjustment to going back to what I had setup before but also found a solution for my clients in case they needed something.

6. I love how much time I got to spend with my kids.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner is awesome to have with a family of 5 and sometimes I have to pinch myself to remind myself how blessed I am because I know that’s not something a lot of people get to do. I also know I’ll never regret spending time with them.

7. I realized I am now using my God given talents.
I love creating stuff, and making websites and shooting video is something that has never felt like work, just pure fun. If you feel like you are going to work, try to remember what got you there in the first place and see if you can get back to doing what you love.

8. Health insurance and a 401k shouldn’t hold you back from going out on your own and being a small business owner.
I remember thinking how in the world can I find the right plan, save enough money, and be on my own… turns out it actually isn’t that hard do find great solutions to both of them.

9. Being a reader is a good hobby to have.
I’ve read the most books of my adult life the past year and always feel a sense of accomplishment in finishing a book. My top books I’d recommend lately would be: Shoe Dog by Phil Knight, Traffic Secrets by Russel Brunson, and the Tao of Charlie Munger.

10. When you trust God, He will make a way.
If you would have told me a year ago everything I’ve gotten to do, the places I’ve been, the clients I’ve gotten to work with and the timing of it all, I would have told you that year was probably for someone else. That’s how good God has been to me and our family.

P.S. Turns out, our Christmas “Boss Baby” video was a pretty big hit and honestly one of my favorite videos I’ve ever got to do because it was with my kids, did you know that “Ro” and “Cru” actually did some of the shooting for the video and not me?