It's been quite a week.
On Wednesday, my good friend David Sekules and I were honoured to receive the Entrepreneurs Circle Ambassadors of the Year Award and then, less than twenty-four hours later, Wilson Design Associates was awarded Highly Commended in the Small Business category at the Chichester Chamber of Commerce and Industry Business Awards.
I was also delighted to be named as a finalist in the Outstanding Personal Achievement category.
This Recognition Belongs to More Than One Person
One thing I've learned over the years is that businesses don't build reputations on their own. Whilst I might be the person who turns up at networking meetings and business events and posts the photos afterwards, Wilson Design Associates has never been a one-man band.
Andy has worked alongside me for more than twenty years. Between us we've worked on thousands of projects, supported hundreds of businesses and built relationships that, in many cases, have lasted decades. The trust and reputation that the judges recognised last week belongs just as much to Andy as it does to me.
That's one of the reasons this recognition feels so special. It reflects the work, commitment and consistency that have gone into building the business over many years.
Awards Are Wonderful, But Relationships Matter More
Awards are wonderful and it's always nice to be recognised, but when I look back over the last thirty years of Wilson Design Associates, what I'm most proud of isn't a trophy or a certificate. It's the clients who have stayed with us year after year. It's the referrals. It's the friendships. It's the trust people place in us when they ask us to represent their business, their brand and their reputation.
Many of the clients we work with today have been with us for ten, fifteen or even twenty years. That kind of loyalty is never taken for granted and means far more than any award ever could.
Thank You!
So thank you to the Chichester Chamber team for organising another fantastic evening, congratulations to all the winners, finalists and highly commended businesses, and most importantly thank you to our clients, suppliers, friends and supporters who have been part of the journey. After more than forty years in business, I still genuinely enjoy helping businesses tell their story, build trust and present themselves professionally.
Recognition like this is appreciated. But it's the relationships behind it that matter most.
