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It's been about a year since I launched my business, and this week we ended up doing what most small offices do around the holidays: standing around with drinks, awkwardly trying to say something meaningful.
The comic here is exaggerated (obviously), but it's loosely based on real people and real moments from the office I work in every day: a group of other small business owners, all building their own things, all with very different personalities, coping mechanisms, and takes on everything.
Yes, we make fun of ourselves. Yes, sincerity sometimes gets side-eyed. Yes, AI and existential dread make their way into conversations that were supposed to be light.
But the truth is: sharing space with other people who are also trying to build something has been genuinely helpful this past year. You learn faster. You get perspective. You realize you're not the only one quietly wondering if you're doing it right.
So while this comic pokes fun at the awkwardness of gratitude, it's also coming from a real place of appreciation, even if it doesn't always come out smoothly at a holiday party.
