This week, as is typical, was a blur – but sometimes those whirlwind weeks are pretty sweet, too. It’s always a great feeling when you can celebrate victories in both your personal and professional life at the same time…and that’s just what this week was for me.

Last Sunday started off with a rushed “turn & burn” trip to the OC, and a chance to spend a day walking down memory lane for Miss Kim. I’ve mentioned Mackenzi before on the blog, the oldest of the “Four M’s” that I used to nanny while in college (and beyond). With life passing by faster than ever, I don’t get to see the now nearly-grown kids as often as I’d like – but there are some moments that you just have to make happen. No. Matter. What.

Sunday was one of those days, as I sat in the audience with her three brothers and a handful of family members and watched my little smarty pants graduate high school (of course, at the top of her class).

I wish I could take more credit for that moment, but still, memories of kindergarten homework flooded back to me. I know that, if nothing else, there are little “Miss Kim” imprints on my Mackie from years ago that will be with her as she heads off to UCLA this fall. I fully believe she’ll achieve everything and anything her heart wishes, and I’m so excited to see what she accomplishes next.

While I was cheering her on here in SoCal, I had to play proud partner from across the country as one of my great friends and managed account partners, Mark Stricker of Wipfli, headed to Orlando to celebrate being named to Insightful Accountant’s Top 100 ProAdvisors for 2017.

I’ve worked with Mark since arriving at Intuit and there’s no partnership I’ve fought harder for over the years. I’ve watched him go from QB Desktop Expert at a regional firm, who had no interest in moving online, to becoming the internal champion leading the charge and paving the way to shift a national accounting firm’s small business division over to QuickBooks Online.

There has been blood, sweat, tears (more than you may think), and if you ask Mark, lots of rain whenever I’m in Chicago. We’ve come so far and I’m so proud to have had a part in watching him soar. The day he called me to tell me he made the list, I couldn’t have been prouder of anyone for anything. As we virtually high-fived each other on the phone that day, I remember asking him “did you ever think anything like this would have happened when we first met 4 years ago?”…he agreed, it was pretty much beyond his wildest dreams.

Mark earned that recognition and I’m so thankful that I got to share that moment with him. I’ll look forward to watching him continue to succeed as he leads Wipfli forward and helps them become a #QBFirmoftheFuture.

As I wrap up this week and prepare to leave Sunday for what is bound to be another action-packed week of traveling, It’s pretty sweet to take a few moments and recognize the victories in life – personal & professional (and let’s face it, the professional ones become personal too). They help remind me why I do what I do every day – because at the end of the day, week, month, the sky’s the limit when you set your mind to it…so make it count, and #WishBig!