Insight -- Congratulations to the winners! - By Michelle Libby

Nothing says success than being voted on by your peers and chosen as the top in a certain field. This week we celebrate those who have earned the Eagle Choice Awards in their profession.

“Winners don’t wait for chances, they take them.”

These businesses, most of them well established, not only delivers great service, but their customers and clients like to talk about what a great job they are doing. This is a hallmark of a successful business and thus a winner.

“Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit.”

These “winners” didn’t get there without a lot of hard work and strife. Most of the small businesses have fewer than 10 employees and the owners work alongside their employees to get the job done. When asked what they do best, their answers usually are along the line of customer service. 

They make sure that their customers come first and when they leave their shop or restaurant, they only have positive things to say.

“Champions believe in themselves, even when no one else does.”

Getting to the top means hours upon hours of time perfecting a product, a recipe, or a marketing slogan. Even when the bottom line is in the red, they still push on day after day until they see progress.

“Winners focus on winning. Losers focus on winners.”

Healthy competition is a good thing. It pushes you harder, makes your work better and ultimately the results are seen in the bottom line. Winners set goals and work toward them. They see a finish line in the distance but set their sights on the mountain beyond the piece of tape across the road. 

When athlete Michael Phelps raced in the Olympics, there are pictures of him swimming his race. He was determined and his focus was on the wall at the end and his next gold medal. Having someone push him, like the guy in second place, made him faster and more determined. Competition in business does the same thing. Winners are constantly being pushed by all of the other businesses like theirs. They are looking for the next best idea, a way to gain the competitive edge. 

In the end, we are all doing what we can to contribute to our communities, the state and the economy and we’re doing a pretty darn good job. Congratulations to the winners of the 2016 Eagle Choice Awards!