Leadership in the Margins

May 22, 2025

Nine years ago, on May 21st, I got down on one knee in front of the North Campus fountain at the University of Georgia in Athens and asked my wife to marry me.

I remembered it was in May… but to be honest, the exact date might’ve slipped by if not for technology quietly running in the background.

It’s wild, right? These apps track your life whether you realize it or not—first steps, first dates, breakups, job changes, business launches… and everything in between. Sometimes that constant tracking feels overwhelming—but then you get a reminder like this, and it stops you for a second. You realize just how far you’ve come.

It’s easy to get so caught up in the day-to-day that we forget how things started. We chase the big wins and overlook the small milestones that actually shape the journey.

This one reminded me: the little moments matter.

We don’t always pause to celebrate them—but maybe we should.

Whether it’s an engagement, your first client, or even just sticking with something longer than you thought you could… those milestones deserve a little space.

And thanks to technology, we might not forget them anymore.

Stop Ignoring the Small Stuff

I remember walking a manufacturing floor with a plant manager a few years back. We were talking hiring strategy, retention challenges, and how tough it was to find dependable talent.

He stopped mid-conversation, pointed across the floor, and said:
Not 30 years. Not a major promotion. Just 30 days on the job. And yet, you could tell it meant something to him.

It stuck with me.

In staffing, leadership, and really any part of business—we celebrate the big stuff. Hiring a plant manager. Landing a new client. Hitting record output. But the smaller milestones? We often let those slip by.

Here’s the thing: those small moments are the foundation. The first 30 days. The first job offer a recruiter closes. A contractor finishing their first full week without a no-call/no-show.

These are the building blocks that lead to momentum—and momentum leads to growth.

So whether you’re running a team, building a business, or just trying to keep operations moving…
👉 Don’t wait for the perfect outcome to acknowledge progress.
👉 Celebrate the 30-day guy.
👉 Give the recruiter a fist bump for their first placement.
👉 Recognize the small wins that keep the machine turning.

Because those are the ones that build trust, culture, and real staying power.

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