Lesson 10: Play the Long Game
TEN Years, 10 Lessons: What We Wish We Knew When We Started
In October 2025, Eleven Eleven Talent celebrated it’s 10th year in business! To celebrate, we’ve been sharing 10 lessons - one each month - about what we’ve learned in a decade of building a business. From community-building to resilience, from hiring to firing, these are the insights we wish we knew when we started. Here is Lesson 10 and our last entry of this series.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur, a recruiter, or navigating your own career path, we hope these lessons support you in building something meaningful and lasting.
LESSON 10 - PLAY THE LONG GAME
Because building something meaningful isn’t about quick wins, it’s about resilience, vision, and the courage to keep going.
Ten years in business sounds glamorous when you say it out loud. But if we’re honest (and we always are), it’s been a bloody long, winding road to get here! The kind filled with late nights, self-doubt, near misses, and moments where we wondered if we could keep going.
There were seasons when everything felt uphill. When the world shifted, industries froze, and we were forced to ask ourselves: Is this sustainable? There were months we carried the weight quietly; balancing clients, families, and the emotional load of keeping a team inspired when we were running on fumes ourselves.
But we kept showing up. And that consistency - more than anything else - is what built the foundation we stand on today.
Because here’s the truth: it didn’t click overnight. It’s taken nearly a decade for things to feel steady, for the business to run with rhythm and ease, for us to feel like we’re in flow instead of in fight mode. That’s what the long game looks like - it’s slow, steady alignment that eventually gives way to momentum.
And today, that momentum feels like abundance. Opportunities arrive without force. Clients find us. The business feels spacious. We have time to be with our families, to pick up our kids from school, to travel, to workout, to breathe. The life we used to dream about in the thick of building is now the one we wake up to, and that’s a success we don’t take lightly.
We’ve also learned something else along the way:
The things we once thought defined success - the media features, the awards, the shiny recognition, don’t hold the same weight anymore. You’ll probably never see us in Forbes, or winning entrepreneurship awards. And the longer we’ve been at this, the more we’ve realized that those external markers, while flattering, don’t create fulfillment or indicate profit or results.
True success is quieter. It’s knowing your work matters, it’s seeing the results on your P+L and not needing anyone else to clap. It’s integrity over image. It’s building something that feels good on the inside, even if it doesn’t always sparkle on the outside.
And for us, it also comes from the rare privilege of building this business together - as best friends, co-founders, and women who have stood side by side through every high and low. That’s the kind of success no award can capture.
KEY TAKE AWAYS FOR YOU:
Play the long game: The things that last take time. Growth rooted in patience is the kind that endures.
Don’t confuse quiet progress with lack of success: Sometimes, the work is working even when it doesn’t show up yet
Redefine what success looks like: It’s not awards or applause - it’s peace, freedom, and purpose.
Choose partners who align with your values: Building something meaningful alongside people you love changes everything.
Ten years later, we’ve learned that the long game rewards those who stay true to their values, their people, and their purpose.
If you’re in a season where it still feels uphill - KEEP GOING. Keep building with integrity. Keep trusting that steady beats fast, every single time.
Tess & Alisha
That’s a wrap on 10 Years, 10 Lessons: What We Wish We Knew When We Started.
Thank you for reading, reflecting, and walking this road with us. Here’s to whatever you’re building - and the long, beautiful game ahead. If you are looking for support with your Corporate Recruiting or Executive Search we’d love to hear from you. Let’s connect, email us at hello@eleveneleventalent.com.
