Milestones That Matter: What 30 Years in Business Taught Me About Progress, Purpose, and the Power of Making the Moment

Last month marked my 30th anniversary in business. It’s a significant milestone that still takes me by surprise. Not because it arrived quickly (it didn’t), and not because I expected it (I didn’t), but because in a world where only one third of businesses make it past the 10-year mark, surviving, let alone thriving, across three decades is far from typical.

I recently created a short video presentation showcasing the logos I’ve used throughout the 30-year lifespan of my business. At first, it felt like a fun retrospective—an exercise in branding nostalgia. But as I watched each logo fade into the next, something unexpected struck me: those logos weren’t simply designs. They were visual timestamps of entire chapters of my life. They represented seasons of growth, reinvention, resilience, and renewed purpose.

And that’s when I realized this article isn’t about my milestone at all. It’s about milestones. Because whether in business, life, or leadership, milestones mark more than time passed. They mark the meaning we’ve made along the way.

Milestones Are Proof of Progress…Even When Progress Feels Slow

Milestones are rarely the result of a single bold leap. More often, they’re the accumulation of many small, steady steps that didn’t feel remarkable in real time. Businesses don’t reach their tenth year—let alone their thirtieth—because everything went perfectly. They endure because someone stayed in the game long enough for the payoff to catch up with the perseverance.

In life and leadership, the same truth applies. A milestone is not proof that the path was easy. It’s proof that you kept walking.

When people downplay their progress (“I should be further by now,” or “Others have done more”), they miss the deeper meaning: a milestone is a mirror reflecting what has been built through consistency, adaptation, and commitment. Your progress counts, even when it doesn’t feel glamorous.

Milestones Anchor Your Identity

Every milestone represents a version of you that had to grow. When I looked back at my evolving logos, I saw more than design changes. I saw identity shifts:

• The logo that represented courage when I first stepped out on my own
• The one that carried me through my first big leap into leadership
• The one that emerged after a reinvention year
• The one shaped by deeper clarity about who I serve and why

Milestones work the same way. They capture who you were becoming while you were busy doing the work. This is why milestones matter: they remind you who you used to be and affirm who you’ve grown into.

Milestones Signal Readiness for the Next Chapter

Contrary to what many believe, a milestone is rarely the finish line. It’s a turning point—a pivot into what’s possible next.

In business, crossing a major threshold (year five, ten, or twenty) often coincides with new levels of strategic clarity. You know more. You’ve tested more. You’ve grown into your strengths and out of your assumptions. You’re no longer guessing…you’re shaping your future. In life and leadership, milestones often signal capacity.

A milestone tells you: You’ve earned wisdom. You’ve earned confidence. You’ve earned the next big move. And that’s worth pausing for accolades.

Milestones Give Others Permission to Celebrate Their Own

Now, this may be the most powerful part. When you share a milestone—not as a boast but as a reflection—you create space for others to acknowledge and celebrate their own.

Maybe someone is in year one, wondering if they’ll ever find their footing. Maybe someone is navigating a restart after a setback. Maybe someone is hitting a milestone that feels insignificant to the outside world but monumental to them.

Your reflection becomes their encouragement. Your story becomes their catalyst. That’s why milestones matter beyond my own journey. They matter beyond your own journey, too.

What Your Milestones Are Really Saying

If milestones could speak, they would whisper truths we often forget:

• You are more resilient than you remember.
• Your small steps added up.
• You grew in ways you didn’t notice while you were busy surviving.
• You’re capable of the next chapter, even if you’re not ready to admit it…yet.

Whether it’s a business anniversary, a career shift, a leadership breakthrough, a personal transformation, or simply making it through a hard season—you have milestones worth remembering and honoring. You have chapters worth revisiting. And you have growth worth celebrating.

Most businesses don’t endure long-term. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, about half of new businesses close within five years, and as mentioned previously, only about one-third survive past the ten-year mark. That means reaching twenty or thirty years in business isn’t typical, it’s exceptional.

Long-term milestones like these reflect not just longevity, but adaptability, reinvention, and the sustained commitment required to remain relevant in a constantly changing marketplace.

An Invitation

As I celebrate three decades of serving leaders, organizations, and ambitious achievers, I’m not really celebrating the anniversary. I’m celebrating what it represents.

So, here’s my invitation to you: Look back at your milestones—big or small—and ask yourself what they revealed about your resilience, your identity, and your readiness for what comes next. You may be surprised by how much progress your own story is making. Your milestones matter. They always have. And the next one is already forming.

Your Next Milestone Is Already Taking Shape

As I look ahead, my next major milestone is already on the horizon. It’s the launch of my book Breakthrough Brilliance in 2026. It represents decades of learning, refining, and helping others turn stopping points into turning points. It’s a milestone that’s been years in the making—one built on every lesson, every reinvention, and every season of growth.

But this isn’t just about my next chapter. It’s an invitation for you to consider yours.

• What milestone are you quietly building toward?
• What achievement is slowly taking shape—through the decisions you’re making, the skills you’re sharpening, or the courage you’re cultivating?

Maybe it’s a business evolution, a leadership breakthrough, a life transition, or a personal transformation that deserves to be named. Wherever you are on your journey, know this: Milestones don’t appear overnight. They emerge from the progress you’re making right now.

Honor the milestones you’re creating in your own business, life, and leadership. They matter more than you know.

Your next milestone is coming. Let’s rise to meet it together.