21 Mar Reflecting Back on 10 Years
Ten years ago I ditched the 9-to-5 and co-founded Can I Have Your Attention (CIHYA) advertising & branding with business partner Cleveland M. Cook III. The economy and housing market started to tank and my wife Yerica was pregnant with our daughter Danella. Nothing was guaranteed and all the ins and outs of being “in business” were unknown. I took the advice from my boss at the time, Jeff Morr of Majestic Properties, who told me “do it now, jump now, you wont jump when you’re forty years old”.
Jumping off the corporate cliff onto the entrepreneur world was scary. Leaving a good position at a good company was a hard decision to make. Giving up the safety net of a salary was tough. But I jumped and although I hit the side of that cliff a few times on the way down, my parachute eventually opened, and been soaring ever since. Looking back, I realize I was on a mission and determined to build something from the ground up, an agency I can call my own. CIHYA’s philosophy since day one has been to work smart and hard, play nice and make our clients look good – today that philosophy remains the same.
CIHYA has allowed me to grow both personally and professionally. I get to do what I love and love what I do. I get to choose who I partner with on projects and take on the challenging and meaningful ones. I make my own schedule and feel fortunate to have been present at every single school program my daughter, who is now 10yrs old, has participated in. I just cannot put a price tag on that kind of freedom, I truly feel blessed.
To the young and perhaps the not so young creative professionals reading this, invest in yourself and in your craft, find what makes you happy, find what gets you out of bed early in the morning and get after it. You wont regret it.
As I celebrate ten years in business and reach this milestone, I thank all of our clients (past & present), family and friends who have seen (and helped) me grow. I simply couldn’t have accomplished any of this without you all. Cheers to continued growth, success and many more exciting years ahead. Now go and continue exploring new https://www.cihya.com
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