Photo courtesy of Danielle Vincent.

This post was originally published at Outlaw Soaps—Pyragraph’s favorite place to get handmade soap—and is reposted here with kind permission.

Yesterday, I wrote about something I learned that I wish I knew about when I was first starting the business.

After spending a couple days moping around about not knowing what I didn’t know, and reflecting that maybe I wouldn’t have started my business had I known…I realized this:

I probably wouldn’t have started my business if I knew that it would take three years to achieve profitability.

That’s the kind of world I want to live in, and I get to be that change in the world.

I knew that 50% of businesses never made it to their third year and 80% never made it to their fifth, but I thought I was a special snowflake. Certainly, my marketing and enthusiasm and sheer gumption would overcome any statistical odds.

I bought into that old “the universe will catch you if you jump” mantra that new-agey people constantly spout. I didn’t think about the fact that 100% of small business owners take a jump, and the universe doesn’t catch 80% of them.

My ignorance brought me to this place, here, where we have finally begun to achieve profitability. Even though by many measures, we should never have started this business.

And I am glad.

I’m glad that I didn’t know about “breaking even points.” I’m glad I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. I’m glad that people probably told me these things, and I just didn’t listen.

Having this business has been one of the most exciting, challenging and amazing things I have ever done with my life.

It has challenged me to be a better writer, accountant, time manager, tester, strategist, process guru, networker and, of course, marketer. It has taught me that when I get knocked on my ass, I need to brush myself off, put on a smile, and get back to work. It has taught me that I can pretty much learn anything if I set my mind to it: packaging design, social media, web development, accounting, business strategy, production, heck, even mural painting…the list goes on, and still isn’t even remotely finished.

At my old job, I was really under-challenged. I wanted to work hard and I wanted my work to create some difference in the world. Even working on the Lance Armstrong and Oprah interview, I knew that if it wasn’t me doing it, someone else could do it. But here, doing this, I’m the person who is doing it. The business would be a different entity if it was run by anyone else.

I matter. I have a purpose. I may just be a little free particle, but I’m a free particle with a voice.

We’re meeting new and amazing people every day, and these new and amazing people are making decisions and recommendations that shape the business. Because in a world where I matter, you also matter.

That’s the kind of world I want to live in, and I get to be that change in the world.

And that’s entirely because I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Who knows what the future holds? We started selling at some local Whole Foods Markets, we have been in chats with ThinkGeek about a new line, we’re starting a new website section (at the encouragement of our customer, James, which he doesn’t know yet)…lots of exciting things are on the horizon.

But we’re still a very new business held together with shoestrings and dreams.

And by golly, I do believe we have the grit (and customers) it takes to keep on.

As always, thank you for being on this journey with us. You are part of our business.