Every business needs hunters and farmers.

Every business needs hunters (the ones who bring in the business) and farmers (the ones who cultivate relationships with customers).

And every business needs those crazy folks who’ll do whatever it takes to make the business thrive—even pose for silly marketing photos!

My friend John G. Evans III, PHR, the “hunter,” is one of those people.

He helped start Fulling Management & Accounting, Inc. and was always game for anything if it meant helping the business.

This photo? It’s from our very first marketing piece in 2000.

Yes, we might have taken the farmer/hunter analogy a bit too far 😂

But it takes me back to our early days, building the business with John.

We were scrappy and did whatever needed to grow the business. And today, we’re reaping the benefits of those early days of hard work.

These early days taught me a few things:

-If you’re thinking about starting a business, don’t be afraid to start small and be scrappy. You’ll learn along the way.

-If you’re in the scrappy beginning stages, enjoy it. You’ll laugh countless times at stories from those early days.

-And if you’ve moved past those early days, remember them. Be grateful for the people who helped you, the lessons you learned, and the funny stories you’ve collected along the way.

When I reflect on those early days, I’m always thankful for people like John who were there in the beginning. He was brave enough to take a risk and join my little startup, and helped lay the foundation for what Fulling Management & Accounting, Inc. is today.

***

What’s a funny story from your early business days?