As most of you know, running a small business in a down economy (heck, in ANY economy) isn’t exactly the Norman Rockwell postcard experience that many of us envisioned it would be when we left our 40-hour-per-week jobs.  In addition to creating the widgets or providing the services that got us into our particular business to begin with, we’re President, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Human Resources, Office and Plant Manager, Visioning Expert, Head of Marketing, Public Relations and Graphic Arts, the entire Departments of Research & Development, Maintenance, Purchasing and Fulfillment.  No matter how much, or how little, staff we have, we’re the place the buck stops.  We carry the stress when things aren’t going well and we carry the burden of planning for the next dip when they are going well.  It’s an insane job, and one I absolutely adore.  May each of you be so lucky!

Keith and I are more blessed than many.  We have the most amazing team of dogs (staff).  Not only are they each individually gifted, they complement one another…and they compliment one another.  I’ve done team building with groups of different ages and backgrounds for nearly 20 years now;  I have a deep appreciation for teams that work and an understanding of the financial, emotional and image costs to a business when they do not.

Our beach dogs needed no team building.  They welcomed each new addition to our ‘kennel’, building a strong team with the same passion, quality and fervor they use to approach their projects.  I presented them with an incentive program and they responded by rewarding one another over receiving rewards themselves.  I kid you not!  This is a fabulous group, proof of the charmed life we lead–and the caliber of people you work with when you choose beachdog.com for your marketing needs.

Still, while I love my job and can think of few places I’d rather be than at this very keyboard, some days are downright challenging and far longer than this body would like to spend here in beachdog-land.  And ya know what happens most every single time that is the case?  A client walks in the door with a bouquet of flowers, a box of candy, homemade cookies, toys for our dogs, or a clipping showing their success as the result of our work.  We get a kudos in the newspaper, included in a client’s celebrations, or someone pushing up their sleeves to help with one of our non-profit causes on our behalf.  We receive a simple card of ‘thanks’ or an email detailing the progress experienced as the result of our effort.  I wonder if the gratitude I express for these kind acts fully reaches the giver with the same depth as their generosity touches me.

I’ve lived long enough to know how incredibly rare and humbling these experience can be.  I truly wish much of the same for each of you reading this.  ~Keleigh

Back: Sabrina, Karl, Wendy, Sue, Kathy. Front: Lilly, Keleigh, Perdita. Behind the lens: Keith