Saying that 2020 was tough might be the understatement of the year. In fact, you could probably fill in the blank with your own adjective, “2020 was ________.”

The facts are that more than 100,000 small businesses closed forever due to the pandemic. Roughly 57.4M Americans filed for unemployment since mid-March. There’s been more than 200,000 deaths from coronavirus, and counting.

And yet, through these hard times, there is still so much to be thankful for.

With Thanksgiving here, we asked nine business owners about the one thing that they are thankful for in their life to give us the change of perspective needed for 2020. Here’s what they had to say.

Finding Meaning In the Meanwhile

The ability to find meaning in the meanwhile is what I am thankful for. 2020 has brought an abundance of trials to so many this year, myself included. I was constantly frustrated and down after experiencing a layoff, a series of job rejections and things simply not going as planned. With an amazing community and constant support, I was able to combine my marketing knowledge and a bit of resilience with a rockstar business partner to start our very own small business. Though this was never the original plan, I am so grateful and thankful for where I am today and the challenges that allowed me to get here.

Audrey Hutnick, Smallwave Marketing

Family Health

This year, in particular, I think Thanksgiving is about way more than turkey. It is important to really stop and be grateful for all the small things in life that we typically take for granted. With everything going on in the world right now, I am most thankful for my family’s health!

Liz Riggleman, Arrow Lift

Safe Shelter

As we’ve all sheltered in place, I’ve become more thankful for the shelter our family calls home. As California fires forced our family to rapidly evacuate, I’m thankful for the firefighters who miraculously saved my mom’s home. Before this year, I’ve always looked at our house as a tiny house, nothing special. But experiences this year have made me extremely grateful to have a place where we can live, work, feel safe, and enjoy our family.

Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

New Position

There are so many things to be thankful for this year, but if I had to choose just one it would be my new role at American Pipeline Solutions! With so many people dealing with unemployment, I am very thankful to have a job that I really love.

Noah Downs, American Pipeline Solutions

My Husband

This one is easy, I am so thankful for my family; especially my husband. Without their love and support, I would not be who I am today.

Debra Hildebrand, LurnAgile

Support From Family

I am thankful for the support of my family. 2020 has been a challenging year for many of us. Without my family and their support, I’m not sure how I would have made it through the year.

Jon Schneider, Recruiterie

Healthy Body and Peaceful Mind

This year I am truly thankful for a healthy body and peaceful mind. Amidst all the chaos, the most valuable thing we have is our family, friends, loved ones and most importantly, our health. At the end of the day we will all agree that health is truly wealth.

Parul Agrawal, Business Growth Strategist, Publisher and Publicist

Selfless Friends and Business Partners

2020 has challenged me personally and professionally. I am thankful to be surrounded by selfless friends and business partners. We have all had to make adjustments this year and it has strengthened my resolve to feel connected rather than isolated.

Candace Cotton, HALO Branded Solutions

A Great Work Team

I am thankful for my family and the amazing people I work with at Blythe Grace. Until you have a good team around you, your business will never grow and prosper. When you are scaling a business, the tendency is to take the path of least resistance and hire people you know. Resist that temptation. Instead, hire the right person for the job.

Robert Reder, Blythe Grace

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