One morning not long ago I showed up for work at our offices on historic Shaker Square in Cleveland, Ohio and I saw a simple black & white sign hanging in the window of the antique store located beneath us. It read “Don’t cry because its over.

One of the joys of working with entrepreneurs is watching as they make their first sale — that moment when a previously perfect stranger (i.e. someone other than their mother) believes enough in their product or service to actually pay them for it.

In 2004 I had the good fortune of being part of the small team that created a company called FindawayWorld, and brought to market a revolutionary digital audio product called Playaway (www.playaway.com). As Founder and President, I watched the company grow from an idea into an Inc 500 success story; from three guys above a small liquor store to 100+ associates in a bustling office and manufacturing facility; from a company losing money to one making millions.