Celebrating Success Vs Achieving Milestones
October is a big month for me, personally and professionally. October 3rd, 2005 was the day I founded Madison+Main. October 1st, 2018 was the day I officially purchased the Texas Inn locations in Lynchburg. On October 10th, the Texas Inn will celebrate 89 years in business. October 31st is my birthday…yes Halloween. I will be 57 years old and I will celebrate it fully. I haven’t been trick or treating for years, but I will still put a ton of thought and energy (and perhaps money) into my Halloween costume.
These examples, on the face of it, may only seem to be milestones in the passage of time, but I look at them as successes that should be celebrated. The passage of time is something we as a society used to celebrate. Today, most folks barely acknowledge the passage of time. Yes, we celebrate kids’ birthdays and special anniversaries, but for most things, we just say, “Yeah, ok. Cool.”
A milestone is a significant event in your life. A success is a significant achievement. A milestone is turning 100. The success is living to age 100. It’s definitely a nuanced difference, but both need to be celebrated.
Madison+Main is now 19 years old. That’s a milestone. Starting a company from scratch and $25,000 out of your home equity line of credit and growing it for almost two decades is an achievement. Growing from one to 24 employees is a success. So we celebrated that success by taking the Madison+Main-iacs to the State Fair on Wednesday. Yes, we took a half day off to celebrate our company and each other…with deep-fried Oreos and Rosaire’s Royal Racers.
Every Monday morning for the past 19 years, we ask colleagues to share a personal and professional success story. Sometimes I get a litany of what the employee did during the weekend. What I look forward to is when they “understand the assignment” and tell me about the success that they have achieved. A personal success. A professional accomplishment. Regardless of what they say, I’m always eager to hear it.
Life is short. We need to acknowledge the milestones and we need to always, always celebrate the successes – no matter how big or small.
MONDAY:
WRAP SHOOT
Lights, camera, action! Monday was the big day for our “What’s the Damage?” commercial shoot with partners WRAP and Virginia DMV. Speaking of success, this was Account Executive Kendall Sanders’ first big commercial shoot with M+M. I asked her how she felt now that she has one under her belt. “I think it personally went so well and so smooth – watching our vision come to life was just amazing.” A huge thank you to BES Studios and of course our friends over at WRAP and the Virginia DMV. Always remember to find a sober ride home.
TUESDAY:
LEADERSHIP LUNCH
President Molly Whitfield was in town and called a Leadership Meeting at Madison+Main’s International HQ in Richmond. She also called Texas Inn Richmond for a catered lunch. Mmmm, good! Did you know Texas Inn offers Good-Fast-Cheap Catering? Yep, where else can you get a team lunch catered for around $10 a person?
WEDNESDAY:
STATE FAIR
We celebrated Madison+Main’s 19th birthday a day early this year at the Virginia State Fair and have the pics to prove it. My personal favorite tradition is watching the pig races with my crew — Lindsay Lo-ham was robbed! Smiles all around that day, and THAT in itself is another personal (and professional) success.
THURSDAY:
HCB2 BLUE GENE BALL
Our account executives sure do know how to have a good time! Anne Bowers and Kendall Sanders attended Hitting Cancer Below the Belt’s (HCB2) Blue Gene Booty Bash where they danced the night away and helped raise money towards HCB2’s mission.
FRIDAY:
10/4, GOOD BUDDY
It’s 10/4, good buddy. And I was on the air again with my buddy John Reid of Richmond’s Morning News on WRVA, with my regular RVA Event Update. Lots of fun things to see and do this weekend. ICYMI, here’s the link.
You can also check a few favorites below.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE EVENTS
Friday (10/4) and Saturday (10/5) from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Location: St. James Armenian Church
834 Pepper Ave, Richmond, VA 23226
Richmond’s oldest and longest-running food festival returns for a family-friendly weekend of Armenian delicacies and culture Oct. 4 and 5.
The 64th Annual Armenian Food Festival features food prepared by members of St. James Armenian Church.
- Authentic Armenian Food & Pastries
- Live Armenian Music & Dancers
- Church Sanctuary Tours & Gift Booths
Friday (10/4) and Saturday (10/5)
From 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location: Brown’s Island, 490 Tredegar Street, Richmond, VA 23219
Green Top’s BIG TENT Event, celebrating its founding in 1947 – Virginia’s Largest Outdoor Expo.
- Free admission/Free parking
- 225+ Vendors and 350 outdoor specialists; hunting, fishing, archery, camping, boating, hiking, and more.
“Great success!” – Borat