A Win’s A Win
by Micaela Kamp
In a recent meeting with a portfolio company I noticed that the team seemed overwhelmed - juggling tight deadlines and feeling the weight of their growth goals for the quarter. Most of their focus was on what had gone wrong and how they needed to improve. When they finished sharing their update, I asked, “What’s one thing that you are proud of?”
After a pause, a team member smiled and said, “Well, we updated our homepage after talking about it for months. The changes seem to be working." It was a small moment, but there was a visible shift in the team’s demeanor—a hint of relief, even joy. It wasn’t a massive breakthrough, but it felt like a win. That tiny victory was a reminder that progress is worth celebrating, even when everything isn’t exactly as planned.
The moment reminded me of how often we overlook the small wins. How we wait for the big milestones before acknowledging progress. Founders are conditioned to keep their eyes on the horizon—the next funding milestone or growth goal. While it’s essential to focus on long-term goals, learning to celebrate small moments along the way is equally important for the journey.
Even the smallest wins have value and deserve recognition. Here’s why:
1. Small Wins Fuel Momentum
Success isn’t just about the big wins. It’s also about the consistent steps forward that build momentum over time. Small wins create a positive snowball effect. This allows your team to stay motivated and energized for the long haul and reminds you that you're on track, even when your goals still seem far away.
2. Your Team Gets More Resilient
When you take a moment to celebrate a small win, you’re creating a culture of appreciation. You’re not only reinforcing your team’s contributions but you’re showing that their efforts matter, which can drastically improve morale and productivity. Over time, this habit builds a more resilient team that’s better equipped to handle the inevitable setbacks that happen when building a business.
3. Mental Health Matters
Running a business is stressful. The pressure to constantly grow, scale, and outperform can take a toll on someone’s mental health, whether that's on you as a founder or someone on your team. Small wins serve as moments of reflection, giving you a reason to pause and acknowledge your progress. These moments are essential for preventing burnout and maintaining a healthy mindset on the next stage of the journey.
4. Encourages a Growth Mindset
Focusing solely on big milestones can leave you feeling like you’re always playing catch-up, never fully satisfied. A growth mindset is all about valuing progress over perfection. Stopping to celebrate the small wins shifts the focus from only being about milestones to looking for ways to grow consistently over time. This mindset shift reminds teams that challenges are opportunities for learning, rather than setbacks to your end goal. When celebrated, this creates an environment of continuous learning and development.
Simple Gestures, Big Impact
Celebrating the small wins doesn’t have to be over the top. Most of the time it’s about recognizing the everyday moments in your business that brought you or your team joy. When they happen, take the time to acknowledge these moments – whether through a team shout-out, a coffee break, or a brief moment of reflection. However you choose to do it, what matters is creating the space to reflect on what you and your team have accomplished.
While the big wins happen, the small victories are what sustain you and your team along the way. Taking the time to acknowledge and celebrate those small victories isn’t just good for morale - it’s essential for long-term success. So, next time you land that big account or finally resolve a long-standing issue, take a moment to recognize it—because a win's a win.
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RevUp Capital Director of Growth Platform Micaela Kamp is an accomplished growth marketer and content architect with 8+ years of experience helping early stage companies share their stories. Over the years, she has used her ability to question everything and a belief in storytelling to build strong foundations for scalable growth for founders.