We’re coming up on the fifth anniversary of Firm for the Culture, and I could not be more excited.
Five years of full-time entrepreneurship—let me tell you, it’s been quite the journey.
There have been moments of triumph, months of wild profitability, and if I’m being completely honest, months where I’ve had to scrape just to pay the bills.
Yet, through all the ups and downs, I’ve come to one simple truth: failure is not only inevitable, but it’s a necessary part of the journey.
Because of that, I had to internalize the conviction that if I’m going to effectuate the vision, mission, and purpose of Firm for the Culture, I needed to continuously reframe my approach to failure.
So, as I unpack these lessons for myself, I hope this Founder’s Letter will help you reframe your own relationship with failure.
I’m excited to invite you to our live session with my friend and colleague Coulter ‘Coby’ Henry Jr. - a Patent Attorney in the Intellectual Property practice, for a riveting “Ask Me Anything” discussion on all things Trademarks, Patents, and Copyrights.
This one’s tough to admit, but I’m scared sometimes.
As I bring new team members on board, there’s a little voice in my head whispering doubts: What if you’re not the leader you need to be? What if you’re so focused on strategy that execution falls apart?
But here’s what I remind myself: it’s okay to be scared because I’m still learning.
There are days when I feel like I’m just not enough.
When scaling a business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you should be able to handle it all, especially as the founder.
But I’ve learned to reframe this thinking, too.
The truth is, my vision for Firm for the Culture requires more than just me. And that’s okay.
The purpose of the firm is greater than any one individual’s capacity to execute.
So, I remind myself: it’s not about being adequate on my own, but rather building a team and infrastructure that can take this vision to the heights it’s destined to reach.
The fact that I can’t do it all alone is proof of the scale of the mission—not a shortcoming.
The mere fact that you've been able to employ people over the 5 years says a lot about your business chops, in both strategy and execution. Reading your post reminded me of how hard it is, just getting to the point where you can afford to pay people.
I wasn't able to get there with my business. Instead, I pivoted to exploiting my IP as a sole operator, a much better fit for me. Which makes it easy for me to stand back and admire what you've already built. It's an achievement you should be proud of and one that's beyond many would-be business builders like me. Brava!
Love your authenticity and wisdom, Ruky.
The mere fact that you've been able to employ people over the 5 years says a lot about your business chops, in both strategy and execution. Reading your post reminded me of how hard it is, just getting to the point where you can afford to pay people.
I wasn't able to get there with my business. Instead, I pivoted to exploiting my IP as a sole operator, a much better fit for me. Which makes it easy for me to stand back and admire what you've already built. It's an achievement you should be proud of and one that's beyond many would-be business builders like me. Brava!