10 Lessons I’ve Learned in 10 Years of Running a Small Business
This year, Freedom Makers turns 10.
When I look back, I see a journey filled with late nights, learning curves, and moments of real joy.
We’ve grown from an idea to a company that’s served over 590 small businesses and provided work opportunities to over 1,030 military spouses. We’ve generated over $2 million in revenue for military families, and our team continues to grow stronger each year.
I’m so excited when I think about how far we’ve come.
In honor of our 10-year milestone, here are 10 things I’ve learned from building Freedom Makers. I hope these lessons might be helpful to you, whether you’re just starting out or deep in the grind.
1. Building a Business Should Be the Good Hard
It should feel like a workout – challenging, but satisfying. It should stretch you, make you stronger, and yes, maybe leave you breathless sometimes. But like a great workout, you should walk away saying, “That was hard, but worth it.” That’s how I’ve always approached building Freedom Makers.
2. Know Your Purpose and Build Everything Around It
Our purpose, vision, mission, and guiding principles are how we make decisions. They’ve carried us through tough calls, client challenges, and internal growth. When you know what you stand for, and you share it boldly, you attract the right clients and team.
3. Always Be Learning
What worked for us in year 1 didn’t work in year 5, and won’t work in year 10. That’s why I read, listen to podcasts, talk to mentors, and attend conferences. I believe a lot of our growth happened because we were willing to adapt and learn. The market changes, your clients change, you change.
4. The More You Know Yourself, the Better You Can Hack Your Success
Self-awareness is a superpower. If you’re the bottleneck, identify it. Are you the visionary who gets stuck in execution? Hire support. Are you great at operations but light on ideas? Get a coach. I’ve learned that building around your strengths and being honest about your shortfalls is key to sustainable momentum.
5. Have an Accountability Partner
Being an entrepreneur can be lonely. Having someone you trust, someone who sees your vision and can encourage you through the tough spots makes all the difference. The right accountability partner can remind you of your why when you forget.
6. Action Matters More Than Anything
Too many entrepreneurs get stuck in analysis paralysis. But at the end of the day, a business is built through action. Make the sales calls. Deliver the service. You can clean up your systems, brand, or tech stack later. Our best growth happened when we dove in, launched our “Zero Draft” and got started.
7. Cash Flow Matters
This lesson hit hard in the early years. No matter how passionate or mission-driven you are, cash flow keeps your business alive. Learn to understand your finances in a way that makes sense to you and watch it like a hawk.
8. Stop Worrying About What Everyone Else Is Doing
Every time I hear “I have to do social media,” I ask – do you really? If your business only needs 5 clients at a time you might get more bang for the buck building a referral based business through networking instead. Follow strategies that align with your goals, not just what’s trending.
9. Perfection is the Enemy of Progress
Remember action is the most important thing you can do to get your business going. Don’t wait until it’s perfect. Launch it. Then tweak, improve, and evolve. Waiting until your product or service is perfect may only produce marginally better return on your investment. And, I’ve found that people are pretty forgiving of small business! Just start.
10. Believe in Yourself
This might sound cliché, but it’s the truth. You have to believe you can do this, especially when it feels like no one else does.
To anyone out there thinking of starting a business, or trying to keep one going: you’re not alone. It’s not supposed to be easy, but it is supposed to be worth it.
Ten years ago, I started Freedom Makers because I wanted to help small businesses get the support they needed to succeed and I wanted to help military spouses find meaningful, flexible work.
I had no idea it would grow into what it is today, and we are just getting started!
Here’s to building businesses the good hard way – with purpose, progress, and people by your side.
Cheers!
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