I remember so many “firsts” like they were yesterday. I certainly remember our first order more vividly than my first kiss. These firsts are not just events in time, but a culmination of countless hours of work, ranges of emotions, overcoming doubts, and plowing though the challenges. Firsts are validating—customers want our stuff, investors believe in our vision, employees want to be a part of something. Without firsts, we might just be another entrepreneur toiling in his or her garage or basement. I wonder if Steve Jobs wondered if he would ever have his first.

I’ll never forget our first big customer win.

We knew that winning the Deloitte account would be a long shot. We were barely a year old and few knew about us. Our meetings with Deloitte had about twenty people in the room and another twenty from countries around the world. We had a total of twenty employees at the time. Meetings were held in Wilton, Connecticut. Meetings, conferences calls, presentations, more conference calls. All to win their internal multi-million dollar reward program. Deloitte informed us that their selection process had narrowed the field from ten down to three. They would not tell us the competition. Their decision was to come on the Monday after the fourth of July holiday and once made, the solution would have to be in place by January 1.

Deloitte would be a great client, and having the opportunity to run their reward programs would send signals to the marketplace. They did not tell us when we would be informed.   We sat on the edge of our seats all day. Three o’clock came and went and I went downstairs to the little coffee shop in our office building. Of course when I was gone they called and left a message and said “Hi it is Donna, the procurement manager from Deloitte, please give me a call back when you get a chance.” I returned to my desk and called her back. She started by thanking us for participating in a grueling selection process and telling me that it was a very difficult decision. The one thought that kept running through my head is that these are the things that a company says to the vendors they don’t select. She paused and said “this was actually quite an easy decision for us. It was clear to us that you were the best vendor in the market. If you are OK with that, we would like to enter into negotiations to finalize a contract for you to be our worldwide reward and incentive vendor.” We were on the map.

I remember it like it was yesterday. All those memories of leaving a law firm, working in a barren office, working twenty hours a day—they all came back. And it all seemed worth it.

There were so many firsts that made the effort and pain seem miniscule in comparison

• The launch of our first technology platform
• The hiring of our first chief technology officer
• The closing of our first investor
• The first press coverage we got
• The first time we saw our logo in print (I know it’s corny)
• The first check we received from a customer

When we achieve, it seems as if the loneliest days never happened. The best days not only unlock boundless energy, they tap into our spirit. So many people say every day, “I wish I were working on something that I was passionate about.” When you have great days, or even a few great hours, you experience passion and pleasure while pressure and pain take a backseat for a bit.

What did you feel when you won your first customer? Did you feel a chill up and down your spine? Did you call your spouse? Did you scream something ridiculous like “you can’t handle the truth?” Achievement in the face of challenges—financial, emotional and visceral—inspires, enlightens, and energizes. That energy can last for days, weeks or months. The challenges of yesterday no longer seem like insurmountable obstacles. They seem like mere speed bumps along an inevitable path of success. As John F. Kennedy said, “we chose to go to the moon…not because it is easy, but because it is hard.”

So what is wrong with this perspective? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. In fact, what often happens to entrepreneurs is that we fail to appreciate the accomplishment because there is so much to do. Soak in the victories – even the small ones and especially the first ones. When you do, you start to see a balance between all of the challenges and the successes. The famous tennis player Jimmy Connors once said, “I hate losing more than I like winning.” We tend to move on past accomplishments too quickly. We all know that this rollercoaster will climb to great heights and take us through a nauseating series gravity defying loops. And if we don’t stop to enjoy the view, we can get overwhelmed by the challenges. Of course you have more to do. Of course you need twenty more customers like the first one. Of course one press mention does not make a marketing plan. But they all sure feel good. And they should.