If you will permit me, today I would like to talk about a couple of milestones of which we’re kind of proud.

On November 17, 1997, I began broadcasting The Small Business Advocate Show for two hours Monday through Friday, and ever since that first day the program has been nationally syndicated. This week we will celebrate our 16th anniversary and the beginning of our 17th year on the air.

In January 1998, we began simulcasting our show on the Internet, which makes us one of the pioneers of Internet streaming. Since 1999, we’ve offered multiple on-demand streaming options and in 20o7 added the ability to podcast all current and archived interviews.

Next Monday will be my 4,161st live broadcast since we began - including all the holidays (next week I’ll broadcast my 17th consecutive live Thanksgiving Day show). Since that first broadcast, I’ve conducted over 16,600 live interviews with small business experts and entrepreneurs. When you hear me talking about making sure that you’re passionate about the business you start, if you didn’t already, now you know I practice what I preach.

From the beginning, my primary programming goal was to focus on the fundamentals that are important to successfully starting, operating and growing a small business, and to make all of the things we do available to you for free. On that last note–the free one–I must say thanks to our outstanding corporate partners, without whose support the free part would not be possible. I especially want to thank our Presenting Sponsor, Insperity, for more than eight great years together.

Over the years I have received a number of national awards from organizations such as: the U.S. Small Business Administration, FORTUNE Small Business magazine, TALKERS magazine, the American Chamber of Commerce Executives, the American Small Business Development Centers, Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, and New York Enterprise Report. Plus, for many years now, Google has ranked me as the #1 small business expert.

Also this week, we’re celebrating the 14th anniversary of our e-zine, The Small Business Advocate NEWSLETTER. This week’s edition, Volume XV, Issue 1, represents 728 consecutive weekly issues since 1999. Thanks for being a loyal subscriber.

Finally, thank you for your support, comments, many words of encouragement and especially the honor and privilege of being your Advocate. I’m already looking forward to the rest of our journey together. More than anything else, I want you to know how proud I am of you as a small business owner and what you have accomplished.

Nothing I do as The Small Business Advocate is about me–it’s all about you, my heroes, small business owners, regardless of where you live on planet Earth.

Thanks for being part of my community. I’ll see you on the radio and the Internet.

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