Longest Overnight Ever

This week I had a really nice chat to my Mom. We haven't spoken much in a few weeks, so it was really great to catch up with her. She gets the business newsletter, so she knows about all the comings and goings in the biz, including that I've recently hired my 4th employee (and I am one of those 4.) In the conversation she told me over and over how proud of me she is, and what a great job I'm doing. It was really nice to hear - I suspect no matter how old one gets, one always seeks approval from their parents - so it was really, really nice to hear it.

My gorgeous Mom then said, "OMG! It's amazing! You're a total overnight success story!"

This gave me pause for a second or two (or three.) Overnight success story? So I said, "Overnight? Hardly, Mom, I've been working my ass off for YEARS." To which she said, "No, but it's like, all of a sudden, you're doing amazingly well."

I just had to laugh at that one. There is nothing about the business - or my life in general - which was either all of a sudden, or overnight. Heck, I even don't agree with her about the success part, either! Are things going well? Yes, knock wood, they are. Have opportunities come around which I've taken and run with to turn into big wins? Yes, of course. Do I foresee a great future for the business? Of course I do (otherwise why on earth would I bother?)

But if she - or anyone else - thinks for a minute that any of this has not been in the making for 10 years or more...they would be wrong. I've been planning this, in some small, back-of-my-mind sort of way, for YEARS. Maybe even longer than 10 years, because after all I started cake decorating when I was about 15, which was *cough**splutter**cough* 20 years ago and I knew even then that I loved it and would like to do it "for real" someday.

I mentioned this conversation to someone, and that person (forgive me, mystery person, I can't remember who you are) said, "The average time span for an overnight success is something like ten years."

Overnight successes only appear so on the surface of it - underneath the surface that business owner is sporting some massively toned calves from running like hell for the past ten years.

Am I hugely proud of what I've achieved? Ehhh.. mostly. Because I don't think I've reached (and may never reach) the point at which I can sit back and think, "Ahh! Now I've done it!" I've got a fair few years of running left to go before I'll even consider that I've achieved much at all.

In the meantime, though, I'm happy to be an overnight success in my Mom's eyes - because frankly, if she had ANY idea of the real madness of my life, the real day to day sacrifices I make, the stupid things I do and the crazy risks I take...she might not be as impressed with me. For now, I'm happy just to bask in her affection and pride and take them to heart.

Ultimately, it doesn't really matter how long it took me to get there. That I AM getting there is important enough.

But, damn, it's been one very long night.