For my Good People Day shoutout, I choose my wife, Nicole!

I confess that I wasn’t following Gary this time last year, but I have to say this idea is spectacular. We all go around fretting over people/situations that have “wronged” us and never enough about the people have done right by us.

Sure, some people may say, “oh, how uninspired, his wife,” but that simply means you don’t know her. I can go on and on about “love of my life” “biggest fan” and “best friend”, but let me instead give three of the countless reasons why I spout on about her…

College: 1998 Dropping Secondary Education Major (Giving up on Being a Teacher)

To say I love history is one of the biggest understatements possible. I thought I was destined to be the best high school history teach I could possibly be, but the only problem was that the public school system doesn’t really put much emphasis on history. So, I was faced with a situation where I (in youthful foolishness) sparred with an administrator while I was still student teaching. Out of the Education program I went.

I chose to pursue my degree in history, minoring in political science and writing. Through those “what are you going to do for a job” times she never lost faith in me and never once criticized me on the decision. She stood by me as my best friend – encouraging me that I made the right choice.

11 years later… she’s still encouraging and inspiring me as a business owner.

Spring, 1999: Graduate School in Washington DC

My undergrad diploma was fresh in my hands and I wanted nothing more than to continue on to Georgetown for Graduate School. This is something we discussed at length. Nicole still had a year left in school in Wisconsin. Would we stay together (we’d been dating for almost three years) and try it over long distance? Would she come out to DC after graduating? Yes to both. She always indicated she wanted to be together – even if that meant moving east.

Never did go, by the way, but the fact she was willing made me know that this one was for life.

2006: Leaving My Day Job to Take My Home Biz Full Time

History is a huge part of me, but my passion has been discovered in branding and creative design. I had been doing freelance work and building a client base since 2002. Finally, the break came that I was ready to make the leap from my prepress job at a commercial printing company to Signalfire.

Again, we discussed this at great length. Weighed options, projected costs and fretted over the “what if’s”. But the time came to decide and I put in my notice. We had an eight month old son, mortgage, car payments, bills, and all of the factors that weigh every couple. She backed my play, more than that, she enthusiastically supported me (even if I knew she had huge concerns).

She cheered me on as I got off to a start. Encouraged me through the rough patches and some close calls. As our little home business grew from me in the basement to me leading a team from the office – she still supports me (even with another boy a year later). She’s my biggest cheerleader, soundest counsel and best critic.

I raise my glass to my wife, Nicole!

gary:

Good People Day 2009!
Good people day is something I started last year as a way to get people to “call out” amazing people and really take the time to do it in a blog post instead of a wall comment or a tweet! This video is mine and I hope you do a blog post or video as well and leave a link on my comments so I can watch or read it!

here is a link to last years explanation of what good people day is!