Twenty years (and six offices) after striking out on my own, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This week I celebrate 20 years since I launched my own business as a marketing communications strategist and content creator. As I reflect on the many projects on which I’ve worked over the years, I am filled with gratitude for several things:

1. The trust clients have placed in me to share their stories. Whether their goal was to build brand awareness, celebrate success, showcase services, raise money or get people to just show up, it’s been a true privilege to help clients express their ideas in clear and compelling ways.

2. The many skills I’ve learned. Watching the communications field adapt to digital disruption has been fascinating, and I’m glad to have been an early adopter of social media. With so many different ways to reach people, clarity of message is more important than ever.

3. The flexibility that comes with self-employment. The technology mentioned above is a double-edged sword, because it means you’re never really unplugged, but I am ever grateful for the opportunity to work when and where I want.

4. The power of a network. How lucky am I to be in Austin, Texas, the epicenter of entrepreneurship and creativity? So many talented people run their own creative businesses here, and I’m glad to be connected to a strong web of talent on whom I can call if I need help, work, resources or just a cup of coffee.

5. The chance to learn something new every day. Even after 20 years, I still get excited to start every project, because it means I’ll learn something new. I love digging into the why and how for each particular project, extracting and reassembling the best nuggets of information for specific needs. In fact, I get so engaged in clients’ stories that I find myself inviting friends to their events, describing their missions at dinner parties and connecting them with like-minded folks.

So I give a quick shout-out to past and current clients, colleagues, mentors, collaborators and friends; thank you for making the past 20 years so meaningful and fun. What will the next 20 years bring? I can’t wait to see.