Life at 55, I’m just getting started

by Joe Domaleski | Nov 15, 2022 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion

Happy birthday to me. Over the weekend, I turned 55. To quote country music star Toby Keith, “I ain’t as good as I once was, but I’m as good once as I ever was.” Instead of complaining about the aches and pains of being old or ranting about how times have changed, I thought I’d take the opportunity to reflect on what it means to be a business leader at age 55. Although I had envisioned retirement at age 55 and congratulate my peers who’ve already retired, that’s not where life has taken me. My business career is not done yet. Before looking ahead, indulge me as I stroll down memory lane.

I’m a member of the much misunderstood Generation X, those born between the Baby Boomers and Millennials (roughly 1965-1980). Ours is a small demographic, much smaller than the massive Baby Boomer generation, which is mostly retired at this point, and the Millennial generation, which are busy raising families and growing careers. We were the first generation to grow up with personal computers, something that influenced my entire career. I have fond memories of my early computers – TRS-80, Commodore 64, and Osborne-I portable (suitcase) computer. We grew up with two-income families, portable music players, economic uncertainty in the 80’s, and the rise of the Internet in the 90’s. Our generation was originally called the “slacker” generation, something popularized in movies and pop culture. As a group, Generation X tends to place importance on work-life balance, self-reliance, diversity, and independence. We also like informality and championed “business casual” in the office. We remember life before cell phones, but quickly adopted them when the original “bag phones” came out in the 90’s.

The rise of the Internet made a very profound impact on my career. I got my first taste of the Internet in graduate school (GSU MBA ’93) using tools like Gopher (a text menu precursor to WWW) and ASCII-based email systems which were originally restricted to academic and government organizations. Indeed, I remember dial-up modems well and even ran a local computer BBS (Bulletin Board System) as a way to share information with other computer users. I was and still am fascinated by the ways people can find and share information across the globe using the Internet. When the Internet became commercialized, I learned HTML and shifted my career to focus on web project management – something I still enjoy doing today. My company Country Fried Creative was started in 2003 originally as a web design company.

When I was younger, my primary focus was on raising a family and growing my career. I was the type of guy who volunteered for new projects, like website projects which were new at the time. I worked hard and played hard, completing my first Ironman triathlon in 1998 (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run). The late 90’s were a boom time and lots of great things were going on at work and in the economy. Moving forward in all areas of my life was important to me. I was very competitive and regularly pushed myself onward and upward. I was generally promoted ahead of my peers and took on leadership positions at a young age. In one of my positions, I was the youngest department head by almost 15 years. In hindsight, I’m not sure that was right for me or my organization but it happened. Indeed, as I look back on my career, I was probably too intense and have moderated quite a bit as I have aged. There’s a balance and I’ve spent an entire lifetime trying to find it.

The so-called Y2K “Millennium bug” was not the major issue it was forecasted to be and the world did not end on 1/1/2000. On the other hand, a year and a half later on 9/11/2001 the world changed in a way that no one had seen coming and it hasn’t been the same since. Both of those events, the desire to be home more, and the need to do less business travel helped spur me to launch my new business in 2003. Despite having 10 years of progressively increased business leadership experience and an MBA, I was ill-prepared for the jump into entrepreneurship – but I took a leap of faith and did it anyway. Most of my nearly 35 years of working experience has been as a small business owner.

Starting the business was easy, but running it has been anything but. Yes, there’s the challenge of working on the business while working in the business, but there’s another challenge that I did not anticipate. Constantly selling the business vision to myself, to potential clients, and to team members is not something taught in business school. Frankly, it’s not something I learned in my prior jobs either as I was mostly charged with implementing the vision of others – not coming up with my own. In the nearly 20 years I’ve had the business, I’ve experienced many highs and lows. Belief in yourself and your vision is a key ingredient to success. Many people chase other peoples’ dreams. I recommend you chase your own dreams. In the movie “Wall Street” (1987) we learned that “Greed is Good.” For a time, I actually believed it too – but not anymore. Greed is bad and the root of much suffering in the world today.

I’m not sure when it first sunk in, but I’ve come to realize there is no finish line. It’s not a goal of mine to make a certain amount of money. Indeed, I made more money as a highly paid consultant 25 years ago than I do now. We’re all on different paths, so that’s not a slight on others who are chasing certain dollar figure incomes. I’d like to think what I’ve been doing the past 20 years has had a positive impact on my local community, our clients, and our team. Indeed, here are some truths about business life I’ve discovered along my journey to 55:

• Everyone is on a different journey, so it’s best to follow your own path
• Money makes the world go around, but it’s not the goal of life
• Some people won’t like you no matter what you do
• Some people do not have the capacity to be happy, avoid them
• Some people are bundles of joy, keep them close and learn from them
• Don’t meet people in the middle, be willing to go a little further just past halfway
• Know when to hustle but try to have a steady pace
• Comparison really is the thief of joy
• Things are rarely as bad as they seem
• Time does heal most wounds and neither good times or bad will last forever
• When you have lots of money or prestige, people will flock to you
• The opposite is true when you’re going through a hard time
• Loyalty is priceless and the only way you can build a team
• Helping others is the most noble profession, even if it’s not appreciated
• Humans are rarely rational, despite what I learned in economics class
• Begin with the end in mind and finish what you start
• The Internet is not reality and real life is better than the digital life
• Young people are our future, we need to support them
• Do the right things consistently and the rewards will come
• The journey is more important than the destination

So what’s ahead for this middle-aged, 55 year old guy? Doing whatever it takes to help others – clients, employees, and our community. I’m trying really hard to assist our next generation of leaders within the business. In some ways, that means starting over as I try to be effective through others instead of direct action taken myself. Sometimes I do need to step in and fix things. At other times I need to get out of the way so others can do their jobs. It’s all about trust. Lots of work remains and I’m prepared to meet the challenges ahead. Life at 55, I’m just getting started.

[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year.  Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran.  He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]

It’s always darkest before the dawn

by Joe Domaleski | Nov 8, 2022 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion

You are not alone, although you may feel that way. This is a difficult time of the year for many people. As we edge closer to the holidays, there is a push to get things done before the end of the year. Stress and anxiety build as we try to live up to expectations of how we think things should be in our personal and professional lives.

Last weekend we changed from Eastern Daylight Time to Eastern Standard Time as we edge closer to winter solstice, the shortest day of the year. The shorter daylight hours and colder weather add to the stress. Plenty has been written about dealing with holiday stress, so let’s focus on the specific end of the year stress facing business executives and non-profit leaders.

Some of the things that may be worrying you might include:

• Meeting your year-end financial goals
• Waiting on contract and grant renewals
• Losing customers and how to handle that
• Gaining new customers and how to service them
• Handling staff shortages as people take vacation or get sick
• Worrying about holiday sales or end-of-year donations
• Dealing with impatient customers who are also stressed
• Paying for increased expenses, staff bonuses, etc.
• Tending to your own needs as you care for everyone else
• Staying focused in the present while worrying about the future
• Being present for your family, while you’re pre-occupied with your business or organization

Indeed, I’m feeling anxious about the above items right now as I write this column. It’s important to know that things often get harder before they get better. Much has been written about that and one of my favorites is “the break down always happen before the break through.”

It is natural to feel tired, frustrated, and maybe even angry as you adjust to the swirl of things going on. It’s not fair, never has been, and probably never will be.

As leaders, our job is made even harder because our teams expect us to be steady and strong. It’s easy to feel like a victim and that things are spiraling out of control.

Here’s the deal – you’ve got this. Most of us are going through similar tough times right this very minute. It happens almost every year. We’ve had two years of COVID and now a recession. 2022 has been a doozy. Adversity provides clarity.

Here’s some tips on handling end of year stress:

• Know ahead of time that the end of year is likely to be stressful
• Acknowledge the emotions, but don’t let them control you
• Resist the temptation to act in anger or frustration at anything or anyone
• Give yourself quiet time to reflect, regroup, and re-engage
• Determine what’s working – keep doing that
• Figure out what’s not working – make a change
• Accept what you can not control and move on
• Embrace what you can control and do your best
• Try not to take anything personally, almost everyone is stressed around the holidays
• Be flexible, knowing that things are probably going to take a different route than you expected
• Be patient, knowing that things are probably going to take longer than they normally should
• Most importantly, don’t be hard on yourself

Being a leader isn’t easy. During the holidays, it’s even harder. Your struggles are meaningful. You are a leader of an organization supports the community through jobs, products, services, and other necessities that help others. It can be lonely work, but you’re not alone. People are counting on you. Let that empower you, not overwhelm you.

It’s always darkest before the dawn. Keep moving forward and we’ll get through it together. We got this. I’ll see you on the other side.

[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year.  Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran.  He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]

Beware of the scope creep

by Joe Domaleski | Oct 31, 2022 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion

H appy Halloween! As I write this column, our community is decorated with pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, and other objects associated with scary things. Whether you personally celebrate a happy fall festival or a scary Halloween, I thought it might be a good time to reflect upon some of the things that are spooky to a business owner. One thing that comes to mind to those who manage service and project-based work like my company is the dreaded scope creep.

Although I can envision a literal “scope creep” as a type of monster, it’s actually a phenomenon experienced by almost everyone who manages a project. By definition, a project has a definitive starting point, an ending point, and an agreed-upon list of tasks/deliverables. Examples of projects one might find in our community include: constructing a new building, upgrading a computer network, launching a new business, or filming a movie. As a digital marketing agency, most of the work we do is project-based: building websites, developing brands, managing marketing, and so forth. Projects are governed by a contract or charter that lays out the project scope – time frames, costs, work products, and expectations.

Perhaps the biggest threat to a project is the dreaded scope creep, who rears his ugly head to endanger the project. What is scope creep? The very word creep brings to mind something that is sneaky and stays out of plain view. Scope creep is when unexpected pressures are made upon a project, without accounting for those pressures. The creep often starts off as small, unrelated changes that have the additive effect of putting the whole project in danger of not being completed. Think of the project as a container into which tasks are placed. If too many tasks are added (i.e. scope creep), then the container will not be able to hold everything. The boundaries of a project container are defined by cost, timeframe, and resources.

When I managed projects before starting my business, most of our contracts were time and materials based. Any changes to scope necessitated a corresponding increase in billing – more hours, more billing. Over the years many industries, including mine, shifted to fixed contract pricing or retainers. Customers wanted financial certainty, so pricing shifted to a fixed price for a fixed set of deliverables. The problem is that many people have selective memory – only remembering price and deadline, not the agreed-upon deliverables or action items. Some scope creep is inevitable as unanticipated circumstances change during the course of the project, but most scope creep is avoidable.

With over 30 years of project management experience, I can honestly say the number one reason for scope creep is simply people changing their minds. This seems to be universal, regardless of the type of project. In some endeavors a client will rubber stamp incremental work approvals (e.g. sign off on a proof or design comp), only to change their mind at the very end of the project. I hear things like this, “I know that’s what I asked for, but now that I see it – it’s not what I want.” At other times, the scope creep appears in the middle of the project when the work is being done, revised, revised again, etc. Most companies, mine included, want a customer to have what they want but we also need to be paid for extra work. The conflict comes in when a client assumes the change request is small or that they are entitled to changes at no additional cost.

On very rare occasions I’ve had clients voluntarily offer to pay a fee for a change request, even without asking. In fact, one time a non-profit client of ours sent us extra money with their invoice payment – inside was a note, “Sorry we were such a pain and asked you to change our donation system several times. We appreciate you working with us.” That was a few years ago and much appreciated. From time to time I’ve even had clients come forward and tell us that we weren’t charging them enough! It’s normally not like that, however.

Scope creep happens on most projects, so it’s important to know how to handle it upfront. Here are some tips on how to handle it from the perspective of the customer and the business:

1. Recognize that scope creep will almost certainly happen. Have contingency plans to address change requests. I normally anticipate up to a 20% increase in work effort based on typical change requests. We build that into our project plans.
2. Clearly document what the costs are for typical changes in the contract or retainer agreement. For example, we might offer two revisions to a graphic design for free, but charge a fixed fee for each additional revision. Make sure customers know what the extra charges are ahead of time, that builds trust in the process.
3. Be willing to be flexible. If a client asks for a change and its equivalent work to the original plan, we simply try to accommodate it at no extra charge. That’s an even swap.
4. Setup limits to your flexibility. The old adage, “if you give an inch, they’ll take a mile” is true with some people. Even an “unlimited lunch buffet” typically has limits on how many trips to the food bar you can make. Most people are reasonable, but some people aren’t – they need limits.
5. If you’re a customer, understand that most businesses want you to be happy but that they need to make money. Be reasonable in your requests.
6. Both business and customer need to make sure the project scope reflects reality. Over time, project drift can occur when scope creep causes the vision to change. Left unchecked, neither party knows what the finish line looks like.
7. Document everything to maximize understanding. We use contracts, change requests, support tickets, and sign-offs to help facilitate communication. Memories can be selective, so even if a client wants a meeting or a phone call, a set of notes is always generated. It’s good that clients take notes as well to ensure nothing is left out.
8. Maybe the most important is having a collaborative attitude. The business and the client should work together to achieve success. Working on a project when there’s a test of wills is counter-productive and mutually frustrating.

Don’t let the scope creep scare you. He’s out there, but if you know how to deal with it ahead of time, he’s not so scary. Happy Fall / Halloween.

[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year.  Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran.  He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]

Lead, follow, or get out of the way

by Joe Domaleski | Oct 25, 2022 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion

H ave you used the phrase, , “lead, follow, or get out of the way”? I know that I have and I hear it said in meetings, read it in business books, and see it on social media posts. It’s a phrase that stuck with me long ago and something that still resonates with me today.

I first heard the phrase when I was in Army ROTC at North Georgia College (now University of North Georgia) back in the 80’s. Indeed, I had always assumed it was a phrase that originated in the military – but it’s not. Some have suggested that Thomas Paine first said it back in the 1770’s as our country geared up for Revolution, but there’s actually not much evidence to support that. General George Patton did say something similar many years later, “We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way.” Regardless of its origin, the phrase has been one of my favorites and I find myself coming back to it time and time again. Let’s examine it in detail and how it applies to small business leadership.

Lead – I make no secret of the fact that I like forward momentum. Don’t most people? Those that know me personally, know that I have a hard time sitting still – just ask my wife Mary Catherine. Are you familiar with the venerable Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® personality test? Yes, I’m an ENTJ – you can look that up later. In some situations, I have found myself being the leader because of my formal position, title, rank, or just because I’m the middled-aged white guy. More than once I’ve ended up being the leader because no one else was willing to lead. Being a leader doesn’t mean you’re the smartest, fastest, or strongest person in the room. Quite the contrary, the best leaders surround themselves with people who are better than them. They serve as inspiration and rallying point to bring out the best in others, while also being willing to pick up a shovel and help do the dirty work. In order to move forward and get things done, someone has to be in charge – whether you’re just leading yourself, a small team, or a Battalion. Leaders cause things to happen.

Follow – It may surprise some to know that I also don’t mind being a follower. In fact, I rather enjoy not being the leader all of the time – it’s exhausting. If someone has a vision, knows what they’re doing, and is trustworthy I’d rather they be the Captain and I’ll gladly follow. The best leaders groom others for leadership roles and give them a chance to develop. I am at that stage of my life and career where it’s important that I not be the leader all of the time. It’s my time to let others shine and blossom as leaders. It’s not easy to let go. Yes, mistakes will be made, but that’s part of the journey. Middle-aged folks and older, the future is our young people and we need to help them become leaders. I’ve made plenty of blunders in my career and I’m willing to bet most of you have as well. In order to get things done, a team has to have followers – people who are committed to the goal, able to do the job, and believe in each other and the leader. Followers make things happen.

Get out of the way – One of my biggest weaknesses is a general lack of patience. I don’t suffer foolishness very well, especially from people who block progress. No one is perfect and we’ve all probably been guilty of complaining about things without offering to help find solutions. What really frustrates me are people and groups that make that a regular spectacle with constant complaining and criticism without being willing to help. I could never be a politician. It’s important to recognize when we can neither lead or follow. So what then? Get out of the way. Better yet, become a supporter or advocate! As I write this article, it’s football season – we all know how to support our teams. We do it every weekend because most of us are not coaches or players. We cheer on our teams. If we aren’t following or leading, let’s support those that are – others at your place of employment, first responders, teachers, healthcare professionals, servers, military, non-profits, faith-based organizations, and anyone trying to make forward progress for the betterment of all. Supporters encourage leaders and followers that are making things happen.

I often wonder how different this world would be if we all were a little more deliberate about leading, following, or getting out of the way (supporting).

[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year.  Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran.  He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]

Welcome to the executive suite – advice to a young executive

by Joe Domaleski | Oct 18, 2022 | Blog, Business, Columnists, Community, News Center, Opinion

A s the Chief Executive Officer of my business, Country Fried Creative, it’s been my job to steer our organization through good times and bad. Along the way, I’ve worked with some great folks. Over time, two, in particular, have stood head and shoulders above the rest. They have invested their careers with our firm and put the needs of others over their own. We’ve experienced a lot together and it was my pleasure to promote them to executive positions. I’ve invited them to help me guide our entire organization. Welcome to the executive suite, Lindsey and Janine, and congratulations to you both on your well-earned promotions to Vice President.

In the spirit of Rainer Maria Wilke’s classic Letters to a Young Poet, here is my advice to a young executive addressed to our new Vice Presidents:

1. Ladies, please accept my apology for not writing to you sooner. Although you were both promoted last year, a lot has transpired since then and so your introduction to the executive suite wasn’t a gentle one. On the contrary, it has been a “climb aboard and hold on for dear life” ride over the past year. Honestly, that’s how it was for me all those years ago when I was in your shoes – so maybe your battlefield promotions were more authentic than some romanticized notion of getting keys to a secret executive club. When someone becomes an executive they haven’t “made it”, the real work has only begun. Don’t let that scare you, I know you both have what it takes to succeed. Trust the process and experiences that got you this far. Do the right things and the rewards will come – trust me on that.

2. Take charge of your schedule. As an executive, you have been empowered to establish your own workload and schedule. Make time to take care of yourself and don’t apologize for it. Human beings were not designed to run full throttle without rest. Get a good night’s sleep. Eat right. Exercise. Take vacation. Take breaks during the day. It’s hard to see clearly when things are all a blur. Stillness brings clarity. Seek moments of stillness to reflect, consider, and reset. Don’t let clients or employees run you ragged – be the master of your schedule. There is nothing more important than your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Recharging your batteries will make you a more effective leader. Set a good example for others and encourage your subordinates to take good care of themselves. Take care of other people and they will take care of you.

3. Be a good listener. This is something I struggle with to this day. In my eagerness to provide solutions, sometimes I fail to consider all of the data available. Avoid the temptation to jump right to solutions – listen first. Many problems will work themselves out after you’ve listened to all points of view. Things are rarely as bad as they seem. Things that seem too good to be true, probably aren’t true. Free is not a business strategy and there are no guarantees in life – despite what the marketplace might tell you or our clients. Use discernment in processing the information you receive. There is no single right way to do anything. Seek realistic, measurable results when given the opportunity. Steady progress is the best kind of progress. Don’t let temporary setbacks derail otherwise solid business plans. Use your head and your heart to make decisions.

4. Maintain perspective by zooming in and out as needed to see what’s going on. Keep a long view, while keeping watch over the short term. Don’t underestimate the importance of small details but don’t let small details become mountains that block the bigger picture. Details matter and a small matter that’s ignored can become a real problem later on if not properly addressed. As an executive, your span of authority is over the entire organization. A bad apple really can spoil the whole bushel. Nip things in the bud. Keep contingency plans by having a best-case, worst-case, and probable-case plan in your back pocket. Nothing is carved in stone, so be willing to adapt your plans and be flexible based on your informed viewpoint.

5. Trust, but verify. Contrary to popular belief, most people are trustworthy and don’t intentionally try to deceive. Look for the best in everyone and everything even when they let you down. Even as you prepare for the best, don’t be surprised if you find things are not the way you were led to believe. Make time and be willing to see things for yourself. It’s impossible to check every detail performed by every team member. Find a natural rhythm and method to get a pulse on the quality of work. Always get the right information you need to make well-informed business decisions. Avoid generalizations that oversimplify. Avoid overcomplicating things that could be made simpler. Break big things up into smaller, more manageable things. Most people are not as skilled as you, so avoid overestimating the capability of others. One day they may be as effective and efficient as you, but probably not today. You were once like them, so show compassion. Allow for errors, but insist on improvement and accountability from your people.

6. Be trustworthy. Trust is earned, not freely given. An executive is only effective if they have the trust of other people. The organization needs to trust the executive in charge. Clients need to trust the executives of the company providing them with services. Subordinates need to trust the leader or they won’t follow her. Trust is a two-way street. An executive can only be effective if they trust subordinates. Proper delegation is the key to success and delegation can only happen if the delegate is trustworthy. Trust will be broken and people will let you down. You will let others down. You will probably let yourself down. Most importantly, trust yourself! Regroup, recommit, and re-engage. Share the load, you can’t carry it all by yourself. I may get in your way, even when I don’t mean to. Let me know you’ve got it and I’ll back off. Let me know if you need help and I’ll be first in line to help you. Even though I’ve been at this while, I’m still learning too. Don’t let me get in your way, I do trust you.

7. Chart the course. Before becoming an executive, even when you were a non-executive manager, you were largely following instructions and making things happen following a path that had been set for you. As an executive, you now get to create the path. It’s your job to figure out what needs to be done when it needs to be done, and who should do it. It’s important to get feedback from others about what needs to be done, but ultimately the organization is depending upon you to chart the course. Blaze a path that everyone can follow. Lead from the front when you can, but be willing to push from the back if you need to. Try to keep your group together as best you can, while also realizing that sometimes people need to drop off because they just won’t make the entire journey. Not everyone is cut out for the journey we’re on.

8. Be willing to adjust the organizational tempo. There are times when you need the team to hustle – set the example and increase the tempo. There will be times the organization needs to slow down. Be willing to downshift when circumstances warrant a slower pace of work. Avoid quick tempo changes that can cause organizational disarray. You can’t possibly run as fast as you need to in order to do all the things that need to be done. You decide how fast and how far the organization needs to go along the path you set.

9. Your standards will be too high – impossibly high. That was true for me when I was a new executive and I dare say it’s the perfectionist plague common to most highly motivated executives. Don’t be so hard on yourself when things don’t go as expected. Be realistically optimistic – willing to fail, adjust, and move the organization forward. Be determined about where you’re leading people. Be confident without being cocky. Be pleasant so that others will enjoy your company. When things go well, give credit to the team. When things go bad, accept responsibility. That’s what strong leaders do. Once you’ve accepted responsibility, then you have the authority to make changes so the next time is better than the last time. You’re in charge and the buck stops with you. You will feel alone at times – very alone as if no one else understands what you’re doing or why you’re doing it. One of the hardest things about executive leadership is that you will feel misunderstood and underappreciated. Please realize that you’re not alone, I feel that way too and it’s normal. Although I probably won’t say it enough, please know that I do see what you’re doing and appreciate what you’re doing. Your subordinates probably won’t totally understand or appreciate what you’re doing either. That’s normal and to be expected. Do the right things anyway. That’s what leaders do.

10. Enjoy the journey. Nothing ever goes according to plan, yet everything somehow works out for the best in the end. Building this company has been my life’s work. I invite you both to join me in the journey ahead. You are the future of our firm. Don’t let that be a burden, let that be a motivator. Everything you’ve experienced up to this point has prepared you for what lies ahead. I believe in you. Believe in yourself. Believe in your team. I will be there for you to help you succeed. Fortune favors the bold. Let’s be bold.

[Joe Domaleski, a Fayette County resident for 25 years, is the owner of Country Fried Creative – an award-winning digital marketing agency located in Peachtree City. His company was the Fayette Chamber’s 2021 Small Business of the Year.  Joe is a husband, father of three grown children, and proud Army veteran.  He has an MBA from Georgia State University and enjoys sharing his perspectives drawing from thirty years of business leadership experience. ]