Marathon Monday is a holiday in the Boston area - and the city shuts down to watch. We cheer on our friends and family running; often supporting charities through their sweat, tears and blisters.

My Facebook feed is filled with runners thanking supporters and loved ones - wishing runners good luck. Runners share stories of why they run the Boston Marathon. Some share stories of those who have run since the Boston Marathon Bombing as a #BostonStrong statement. Others share that they run for sick or ailing loved ones - raising money for a cure. There are also those who run in memory of someone who is no longer with us.

This why is the motivation they need to get up out of bed for training when they'd rather sleep in and put on their running shoes and hit the pavement. There is always this why.

So when it comes to opening a small business, how is it we lose track of our why? Remaining motivated is how you continue to progress in your business and keep putting 1 foot in front of the other.

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I was recently told that as a graphic designer, I must feel good knowing I’m better than others at design. I wasn't sure how to react and I was left with this uncomfortable mix of emotions. On one hand, I felt proud because I take pride in doing good work, but also felt a sense of guilt and frustration that at the time I couldn't pinpoint. So I answered in the only eloquent professional way I could muster at the moment by saying, "umm ok yea I guess so."

Reflecting on it later, I organized my mixed emotions and decided my colleague's comment really just missed the point. I’m proud that I feel confident in my craft. Yet, although I’ve been told, especially by my mom growing up (cue eye roll here), that I always had a knack for drawing, I firmly believe that design is a honed craft that many so-called 'not creative people' could learn. If you have the patience to keep re-working something until it looks right, again and again; you will train your eye to see what looks right faster. But it’s important to note, you also should have a strong eye for what looks right, which is subjective (and definitely a topic for another day).

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Quitting my job meant leaving behind amazing coworkers. Smart, hardworking and creative coworkers. And I'm not just saying that - my team was amazing!.. And I'm sure they still are. (You know who you are.)

But quitting my job also meant putting myself first. It meant waking up each morning to decide what i want to do. It meant designing work because I choose to. Or choosing my own clients... And working with clients I admire.

To be honest, I'm nervous about this next chapter. I'm nervous about giving up the regularity that comes with a 9-5 job. The comfort that comes with a paycheck. Health insurance, dental, transportation... all these things I didn't have to be concerned with I now have to take an active role in managing. That in addition to building a life that I am PROUD of.

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