When I left my corporate job to become a commercial agent with no salary, it was a leap of faith. I was 40 years old and had a family to support. I was able to secure a $50,000 draw, which I paid back by commissions earned. It takes 9 months to a year to close a typical office lease transaction and get paid for an office or industrial transaction. The first year I was excited. I only made $30,000, but that was considered a strong start. By the end of year 2, I was living on my commissions. Then, I hit a rough patch. The pipeline was full of promises, but the larger deals meant more lead time. I had spent my savings and pushed my credit cards to the limit.  Two weeks before Thanksgiving, my husband asked me to go to church with him to pack baskets for the poor. I put on my mink coat and beautiful jewelry, and off we went. As I sat there filling the baskets, I was very upset. I had Thanksgiving dinner at my house in two weeks and was out of cash and no credit. I asked God how this happened. What was I doing wrong? I prayed for an answer.

A few days later, a refund from my insurance came in which was more than enough money to pay for a Thanksgiving dinner for 12. I was so very thankful for the money! That was the only time I ever got a refund from my insurance company.

That was a turning point for me. Owning a business can be challenging, but that was one of my worst days or best days, depending on how you look at it. Over time, I became better at handling the cash flow. I always remember the lessons I learned from this fateful Thanksgiving.