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Happy Thanksgiving 🍁 

Thanksgiving has long been one of my favorite family holidays. But time marches on as the kids graduate, find work and get married so we won’t have the complete set this year. I continue to be grateful for them all – near and far. Plus I get the bonus of great food that lasts a few extra days.

Running your own business requires plenty of thanksgiving too. It may be hard to find gratitude in all the daily mess, but take time to thank the people who make it all possible.

Let’s get into it.

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Table of Contents

• Pull to Eject

  • Lessons and Growth

• Modern Tools

• Old School Wisdom

• Free Knowledge

• Recommendations

• Visual Crapshoot

Pull to Eject

You never really run a business all by yourself.

Customers obviously deserve our thanks.

When we were designing 1990’s web sites, I used to tell customers “people who like web sites and sausage should never watch either being made.” We designed a funny holiday gift box and gave away smoked sausage to our best customers – making me perhaps the only web developer to distribute salmonella. 😉 

Thanksgiving invites us to pause and reflect on what really sustains the journey. Gratitude, at its heart, brings clarity, energy, and perspective — fuel for every founder.

This list is a good start on where to focus your thanks:

1. Loyal Customers aren’t just transactions — they’re partners who advocate, offer feedback, and help your business grow. Each loyal client is a milestone. Take a moment to appreciate the trust and engagement they bring.

2. Employees turn ideas into real wins. Their skills, work ethic, and creativity shape your business every day. Value the collaboration, the shared hustle, and the culture you’re building together.

3. You don’t grow alone. Strong networks, good mentors, and candid peers provide support, guidance, and the wisdom to navigate challenges you can’t see coming. Their insight is your edge.

4. Vision needs capital, and every investor or supporter is a vote of confidence in your direction. They help you build, scale, and reach further than you could alone. Even bankers could use a hug.

5. Family. Behind every late work night and bold risk stands a key support system. Those who listen, encourage, and stick around — are the silent force keeping you balanced and persistent. Their belief makes the grind endurable.

Lessons and Growth

Setbacks aren’t failures—they’re the curriculum. Every challenge is a push to adapt, learn, and come back stronger. Say thanks for the lessons, because they’re crafting you into a more resilient leader.

You need customers, and later employees and trusted advisors. Most importantly, family support. If you’re lucky enough to succeed it is because of a whole host of outside people and circumstances.

This Thanksgiving, honor your progress. Let gratitude highlight what you have — not just what’s next. That energy isn’t just a feel-good bonus — it’s your Launch Key for the challenges and opportunities ahead.

Now go launch something 🚀 

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Modern Tools

One of the biggest sticking points for would-be entrepreneurs is health care. Small businesses have traditionally not had great benefits.

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After years of paying premiums for health care that I never used - plus a very high deductible - I left for CrowdHealth. Your mileage may vary, but it’s worth your research.

Old School Wisdom

For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers.

Adam Grant’s book on givers has been translated into 30 languages and been atop the New York Times and Wall St Journal book lists.

Free Knowledge

How about a product idea that might improve your Thanksgiving leftovers?

Gabe Coyne’s thermal casserole dish solved a problem many parents have: keeping food hot for kids eating a various times. It might make a big splash at the holidays too.

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Recommendations

💼 Thriving Freelance - Gigs and Growth : Hundreds of job opportunities sent directly to your inbox each week, plus timely resources to support you as you grow and evolve.

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Visual Crapshoot