Between Kids, Work, and Chaos… Still Finding Plenty to Be Thankful For
If you’re anything like me, life is BUSY. Kids needing constant attention, dealing with work in general (and running a whole business in particular!), and handling the reality that parents and other loved ones are getting older… it’s a LOT.
We all get stuck on the hamster wheel of life, so it can be tough to remember to hop off that thing every once in a while and show some thanks to the people in your life who help you get through it all.
For me, it starts with my family and my wife of 13 years now, Pamela. My ride or die. She’s a fantastic wife, mother, cook, and VP at Levain, to name a few of the hats she wears. She shows patience when mine is spent, and is there with a hug or a laugh whenever I need one. She makes me feel supported in whatever I choose to do, and it’s been so tremendous to realize our dream of home ownership together this year.
Our boys are now 9 and 6. It is SO FUN to watch them grow up. Playing catch in the park until dark, watching them learn new things every day, admiring their vocabulary and comedic stylings getting more mature, (don’t worry, there’s still plenty of fart jokes), applauding them crushing ninja obstacles at the gym and in our backyard, and slaying at travel soccer – these are just the first things that come to mind. There are at least 6 – 7 more.
Secondly, I’m thankful for the team at Murph Consulting. Jon, Bao, Reed, Jo, Canyen, Chris, and Ali. When you start a business as a solopreneur, you’re not thinking about your team; you’re thinking about, well, everything else. It is truly a dream realized to have grown my company to this size and to be lucky enough to work alongside such talented and delightful people. There is no infighting or competition within our team – everyone is genuinely supportive and roots for one another. We are there for each other both in times of need and celebration. It’s honestly an honor to be at the helm of this ship.
Thirdly, I’m thankful for my clients. They trust us with their digital security, data protection, and with handling their pressing tech issues. We don’t take that trust lightly. We’ve served almost 600 clients since we started in 2007, and our goal is to keep them happy with our service, whether they started with us 18 years ago, yesterday, or somewhere in between.
Lastly, I’m thankful for my networks. “It takes a village”, indeed. I’ve been a member of BNI 53 for 12 years now. It has led to so many clients that I needed to expand from a solopreneur to a team of 8. I found my small business lawyer, CPA, business coach/ bookkeeper, printer, mortgage broker, mover, and trust and estates lawyer through this group. And those are just the current members. This group of very well-connected professionals who excel at their craft has become not just clients, referral partners, and people I can call upon, but most importantly, friends. It really is another family.
For the past 2.5 years, I’ve been a member of Wall Street Dead aHead. What a group of fun-loving, hard-working, awesomely friendly people! To a person, we are so supportive of each other, looking to work together in any business capacities we can, while equally enjoying each other’s company at concerts and live events. Thanks so much to Mama Bear herself, Deb, and the rest of her team, who work so hard to put it all together.
Who and what are you thankful for?
This month, Murph Consulting turned 18. I cranked up Alice Cooper's "I'm 18" and Skid Row's "18 and Life" to get the vibes going. My company is now old enough to vote, get a tattoo, and get married, all without parental consent. Watch out, world!
In all seriousness, the passing of another year of entrepreneurship and running a successful business always feels like a good time to reflect. Since we started in 2007, we've assisted nearly 600 small businesses and residential clients. Businesses in every industry, ranging in size from the solopreneur to 100 employees. There’s no company we’ll say “you’re too small for us to help”, and that gives me great joy. Small businesses need tech and CyberSecurity support, and we’ve got their backs.
Speaking of, it's October again, and you all know what that means, right? The Mets have failed us, and the Islanders, Jets, and Rangers are about to. It's also Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Every small business should be implementing some basic security measures by now. It's easier and more affordable than you think it is, and definitely cheaper than dealing with the fallout of something drastically bad happening to your business.
How's your password game? Do you use strong passwords on all the sites you visit, or are they all slight modifications of one word, like your kids or pets' names or birth dates?
If it's the latter, let's chat. You should be using a password manager. They are easy to use, create complex passwords for you that you no longer need to remember, and keep them all safe for you. I can't remember the last time I had to click on the "forgot your password" link for any site, and I love that for me.
A password manager is just one of the seven software we feel EVERY small business should have in place to help keep them protected in 2025. We’ve packaged these up together neatly and made them affordable for the small businesses we will always support. If you’d like to learn more, please click the “Contact Murph” button below to send me an email.