Expectations vs. Realities Looking Back at the First Year of Building a Firm
The end of every year is always a natural time for reflection, with an eye toward the future. This year, there is a lot to reflect on, and I’m doing so with a lot of gratitude for my family, friends, team, clients, mentors, and everyone else in my orbit who has been part of this journey.
When Calkin Public Affairs was founded at the beginning of this year, a clear (albeit arbitrary) set of expectations on how things would – or should – go was top of mind. But the reality is in this business, there is no fail-safe rule book to follow, and no one can tell you exactly what to expect; everyone’s journey truly is unique.
Appreciating the Journey
I wanted to start with what I have come to consider the most important lesson learned from this first year - building this firm has been fun. I of course, hoped it would be, but experiencing it has exceeded my expectations. There is camaraderie on the team. There is pride in the work. There are moments when someone stops me at the market to say they appreciated an insight or story we shared on LinkedIn. That kind of feedback reminds me that our work is not only about outcomes, but about building engagement and real relationships along the way.
Managing Growth
A big underestimation was not the difficulty of building a firm, but the speed. When we launched, there was an expectation that we would remain a small, tight team for at least the first year. We started with four people. What we did not expect was to nearly double to a team of seven in such a short period of time. The work came quickly, the opportunities followed, and the need to invest in people became obvious. Growth demands structure whether you feel ready or not. But with some game-changing hires like Richard Stapler and continued development of the amazing core team, we quickly found our stride.
Systems and Operations
Another early realization was how quickly the firm needed to formalize our operations. We expected that we would need to figure out corporate policies along the way, but we underestimated the workload to get there. In theory, this is obvious, but in practice, it arrived fast. As we formalized and grew, so did the need for “official” company systems and policies – a whole new world for me to navigate. It became clear that professionalism is not something you grow into. It is something you establish early if you want to grow responsibly. The invisible infrastructure determines whether growth feels exciting or exhausting. Thankfully, we have Dani Casados here to help manage the workload, which has become a major theme and learning of this year: As a founder and CEO, I can’t do it all (and shouldn’t).
Time Management
One of the most personal lessons has been learning the limits of my time and balancing it. I cannot be in every meeting. I cannot lead every conversation. That initially felt like a loss of control, but it turned into one of the most rewarding parts of this year. Watching a team member step into leadership, guide a client and deliver thoughtful work is a great feeling. It is a reminder that building a firm is not about being indispensable. It is about building something that thrives beyond you. And with the team I have now, we are seeing that every day.
Financial Management
Managing financials is critical to every business, and for me, navigating the nuances of owning my own firm has provided a lot of lessons learned. First off, even with a healthy client roster, cash flow challenges are always pertinent, with many clients’ payment terms differing and delayed payments being a cost of doing business. Tracking down payments became a regular pastime. The pressure really turns on when you realize you have a team of people relying on consistent payroll. I feel especially grateful to have a trusted banking partner and financial team in my corner.
Expectation versus reality has been a theme this year. The realities have been faster, more demanding, but fuller and more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. Growth, when grounded in values and people, is a privilege. Looking back on this year, my team and I are grateful for the surprises and even more excited for what comes next.