Who would have ever thought that a Christmas present I built for my parents in 1994 would grow into a successful international software company - ultimately acquired by one of the top Private Equity firms in the country. Taking Total Party Planner from a small company with 1 client who just “believed” in us, to millions of dollars in sales, was challenging given it was done 100% bootstrap. We always made it work by being more savvy and more agile than the competition. Equally important to our success is a 110% commitment to customer service.I learned to be customer-centric as a young boy growing up in my parents’ catering company. Repeat business was the ultimate compliment. However, being customer friendly wasn’t enough. There were plenty of challenges in operating a catering company! After graduating college with an engineering degree, an idea captured my imagination that computers could streamline my parents catering business. Over the course of a year, I built TPP in my spare time during nights and weekends.And yes, the story is true, my spare time project was delivered as a Christmas present to my family! I knew TPP was a useful and meaningful tool when my father kept asking for more “upgrades”.With an insider’s catering perspective, we took TPP to market in 1997. In 2006 our innovative company was the first to create web-based software for caterers on the go. In 2011, Advicoach named Total Party Planner “Business of the Year”. That same year, we saw unprecedented growth. After 20+ years, that first client that “believed” in us is still an active user of TPP. Beyond being an excellent software tool, TPP always puts relationships before technology. Together we've developed a special friendship over so many years of being connected through our companies. Success also comes from hiring amazing talent that believes in our overall mission. Finding the right people is critical to building a great company. By hiring slowly and asking probing questions unrelated to the job, you really get to know why someone wants to work for your company. This led us to finding people committed to sticking around for many years, not just a few months.After being acquired in August of 2021, I decided to stay on as President of the new company. With a strong private equity firm now behind us I saw an even greater opportunity to help more caterers grow their companies and be successful.I really enjoy talking to people about their companies and sharing my light when asked. A mentor once told me, be a lighthouse in the world, not a tug boat. I love that.