The other day, a friend pointed out that over the last few weeks, I have referred to several different clients as ‘My Favorite Client’. Truth is, I feel very fortunate to have so many excellent clients. Each one in their own way has some truly unique characteristics that I enjoy. One may be very insightful, another may be incredibly diligent, while another may be just fun to hang around. The old joke is that my favorite client is one who pays on time. I am thankful for all of them, even the ones who pay slowly.
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. One of the best things about the holiday is that it is focused on appreciating the blessings we sometimes take for granted. My ancestors came to Plymouth colony a year or two after the first trip of the Mayflower. Other relatives came to the US at the turn of the century, fleeing Czechoslovakia and heading to the steel mills in northern Ohio. In either case, my family has had plenty for which to be thankful. And I am no exception.
One of the most rewarding things about my practice, and the thing for which I am most thankful, is the fascinating clients I am able to help. Each one has an incredible talent or ability, and by some bizarre circumstance, our paths are able to cross. I get much more out of my practice than money: I get to know a facet of my inventors as real people and I get to make a small difference in their business, careers, and life.
There are many worries that accompany a solo practice, particularly being able to develop the right amount of business and manage the caseload that already exists. These kinds of things can keep me up at night. I am very thankful for the times that I have an abundance of work, but I am equally thankful for the down times when I can pursue some hobbies, travel, and kick back a little. After a year and a half of solo practice, somehow the right work has shown up at the right time from the right people. For that, I am truly thankful.
