I was asked recently what the highlight of my week had been.

What a time to ask me, I thought. Last week was a bit of a cracker.

It started with a trip to Leeds Digital Festival and what was, in my opinion, an utterly brilliant CIM Yorkshire event -  Disrupt or Decline: Brand Relevance in the Age of Digital Disruption.

I’ve written about the event separately, but it was one of those days where you come away feeling energised by the people you’ve met, the conversations you’ve had and the ideas you’ve been challenged to think about.

And then, the very next day, I was heading back to Cheshire to support, and enthusiastically applaud, one of my clients as they received the King’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable Development.

This was the third time I’ve been fortunate enough to be present when the Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire has presented a King’s Award, or, in two of the cases, a Queen’s Award.  One was for another client. Another was for a charity where I was a trustee.  And all three times, I have surprised myself by feeling quite emotional about it.

There’s something about standing there and hearing someone talk about an organisation’s achievements, the people behind them and the work that has gone into reaching that point that gets me every time.

I may be there as the marketing person, but you can’t help but feel proud when you’ve been part of the journey in some way.

But it isn’t always the big moments

Of course, not every week is going to involve a major industry event followed by a King’s Award.

If I think about this week, one of the things I would highlight is the business relationships I’ve built through networking and through being part of the CIM Yorkshire team.

Working on your own, as I have done for almost 20 years, can be lonely and isolating at times.  Being self-employed is often portrayed as freedom, and it is, but there is another side to it.  There isn’t necessarily someone sitting at the next desk to bounce an idea off.  There’s no team meeting where you can have a moan about something that’s driving you mad. And there isn’t always someone who understands the combination of running a business, managing clients, doing the work and trying to market yourself at the same time.

That’s why the teams and networks around me have become increasingly important.

The people I’ve met through networking, clients, colleagues and CIM Yorkshire have provided opportunities, ideas, support, friendship and plenty of conversations that have helped me both personally and professionally.

They’re good for business, certainly.  But they’re also good for your sanity.  And I think that’s something that can easily be overlooked when we talk about business growth.

And then there was another little win…

I’ve also just discovered that something else on my outstanding list of actions has finally been ticked off. About three months ago, one of my social media platforms was hacked.  I followed all the guidelines for verifying the account, contacted the platform and explained that I wanted access to my business profile restored. And then… nothing.

For three months.  I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that it was going to remain on my list of annoying things that needed sorting.

Until I happened to check again.  And there it was.  Access restored.

I hadn’t even been told. It had just quietly happened.

Now, I appreciate that getting back into a social media account isn’t exactly up there with receiving a King’s Award.

But I was massively pleased to cross it off my outstanding list.

Sometimes, the small wins are just as satisfying.

So, what was the highlight?

I’m not sure I can pick one.  Last week, it was the excitement of being involved in a fantastic event, followed by the pride and emotion of seeing a client receive national recognition. 

This week, it’s the relationships and connections that have reminded me that although I work for myself, I don’t have to work alone.

And somewhere in between there’s the slightly less glamorous joy of finally getting an old admin problem sorted.

Perhaps that’s what makes a good week in business.

Not necessarily one huge achievement, but a collection of moments – big and small – that remind you why you do what you do.

And occasionally, you get a King’s Award thrown in for good measure.