I bought my first SMB two years ago today

The last 24 months were absolutely insane:

• 4x'd revenue
• 3x'd employees
• 2 new project types
• 3 new client industries

Safe to say... I learned a lot.

Here are my top 7 takeaways after two years:

1. Life Moves Fast

The last 24 months went by scarily fast.

The #1 lesson I've learned since our acquisition:

Time is the most important asset you own.

So stop wasting it, get shit done today.

2. Appreciate Personal Growth

I was an idiot 24 months ago, straight up.

And while I still have much more to learn...

I'm so proud of the growth I've experienced since then.

Take time to appreciate how far you've come.

3. You Can't Model People In Excel

Cash flow projections are just numbers on a screen.

It takes people to turn them into reality.

Employees are the most critical component in any business.

So make sure you hire great ones then treat them well.

4. Learn Sales

Running sales for my SMB is fun as hell.

Will be the last day-to-day thing I relinquish.

If you have the desire/personality, get a sales role.

The skills translate to any industry and in all aspects of life.

5. Think Outside The Box

I love the freedom + creativity of running a biz.

I'm constantly testing out new shit for my SMB.

My typical playbook is to take stuff from Twitter -> apply it in SMB.

Cold Email Outreach, VAs, EOS, and Loom are a few ideas I found here.

6. Strengths + Weaknesses

Figure out what you're good at, and double down on it.

Figure out what you're not good at, hire, and delegate.

I've wasted so much time and money doing shit I'm not good at.

When I should've just hired to solve from the start.

7. Find Meaning

The desire to make more $ only goes so far.

Once you hit a certain level, it ceases to motivate you.

You need to find a higher calling:

Your employees, clients, perfection, or the love of work itself.

TL;DR:

1. Life moves fast
2. Appreciate growth
3. Employees first
4. Learn to sell
5. Think outside the box
6. Strengths + weaknesses
7. Find meaning