Lidia Varesco Design

With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought it was a good time to step back and reflect on what I’m thankful for.

Since I love making lists, it was also the perfect opportunity to make a list! So here we go…

What I’m thankful for:

• My husband (especially when he cooks a delicious dinner!)
• Family and friends who provide inspiration and support
• My canine office assistant Essie who makes sure I take my daily walks
• Clients who I work with regularly and have become good friends
• Clients who have been working with me since I started my business 10 years ago (read about one here)
• Printers who do a great job, allowing me to sleep at night
• Clients who pay invoices on time—or even early!
• Photo retoucher who can work magic on those less-than-perfect photos
• Friends to creatively brainstorm with
• Talented fellow designers who assist when workload gets busy or I leave town
• Paper reps who provide suggestions, cool paper samples and inspiration
• Twitter connections who help out with design/printing advice

What are you thankful for?

Today marks my 10th year in business so I’m throwing a party! Well, technically not a party but I will be celebrating tonight (it also happens to be the birthday of one of my business advisers, my dad).

Thinking back 10 years, I recall the feeling of excitement coupled with nervousness when starting my business. I think about the wonderful people who offered encouragement, advice and support during those early days (and still do). I remember telling myself, “I’ll try this for 6 months…” then “I’ll try this for a year…” and now here we are, 10 years later.

Looking at my graphic design business now, I think about the wonderful clients who I’ve worked with for many years—many who have become great friends. I reflect on my favorite design projects and what I’ve learned from them. And I feel grateful for the printers and vendors who help make my design work look so good on paper.

Running a small business is not easy. But with hard work, perseverance, and faith—not to mention the support of friends and colleagues—10 years can just fly by.

Thank you to everyone who helped me arrive at this important business milestone!

Part of our series celebrating our 10 years in business. Read more here.