As you all can obviously tell by playhaus’ early numbers, this is my first real go at the whole starting a business thing. Over the past year, I’ve had to confront numerous challenges I initially feared, from firing employees and ending contracts to negotiating proposals—areas where I’m still developing my strengths.

I pride myself on being kind, open-minded, and collaborative, though my competitive side can sometimes show. I believe most of my colleagues, clients, and vendors find me a positive person to work with.

This brings me to the recent decision to let go of a client—a challenging and frustrating relationship many of you have heard me mention. Despite our best efforts, including a detailed analysis of their sales data showing cost savings while maintaining stable success metrics, the collaboration continued to face setbacks, particularly in aligning on attribution systems.

Although I didn’t have the final say in the termination, I fully supported the decision from the outset. While losing the revenue may sting, I’m relieved to regain both time and energy that can now be redirected towards more productive and fulfilling work.