I lost Sonny B last week.

If you've ever loved a pet, you know there's no way to prepare for that kind of quiet that follows. The absence of something so constant — so reliably, unconditionally present — has a weight to it that's hard to describe.

In the days since, I've found myself thinking about him a lot. And in the way grief sometimes works, I've also found myself thinking about my business — about what I do, why I do it, and what Sonny, without ever knowing it, actually taught me about showing up.

1. Take the breaks. Actually take them.

Sonny B was my most consistent reminder that I was not, in fact, a machine. A gentle nudge of his head against my hand when I'd been at my desk too long. A slow blink from across the room that said you need a snack. The way he'd appear at my feet like clockwork and somehow communicate, without a single word, that it was time for a walk in the yard.

I didn't always listen. But when I did, I came back clearer, calmer, and honestly more creative than I'd been before the break.

Running a small business has a way of making rest feel like something you have to earn. Sonny never agreed with that philosophy. He understood, in the way cats just do, that the fuzzy blanket and the afternoon pause weren't indulgences — they were part of the work.

The tip: Build real breaks into your day. Not scrolling-on-your-phone breaks. Actual away-from-the-desk, maybe-take-a-walk breaks. Your best ideas and your best energy live on the other side of them.

2. Know what you want — and go after it.

Sonny was not subtle about his desires. If he wanted lap cuddles, he was in my lap. If a toy had caught his attention, he was going after it with his whole entire heart. He didn't wonder if it was a good time or worry about what anyone thought. He saw what he wanted and he moved toward it with total confidence.

From his catio, he'd watch the world go by — birds, neighborhood dogs, whatever was happening outside — with the quiet patience of someone who knew exactly who he was and where he stood. And then, when something called to him, he went after it.

There's something genuinely freeing about that kind of clarity. As business owners we spend a lot of time second-guessing — our pricing, our offers, our worth. Sonny never second-guessed a lap cuddle in his life.

The tip: Get clear on what you actually want from your business right now — not what sounds reasonable or what you think you should want. Then move toward it like Sonny moved toward a warm lap. With confidence and zero apology.

3. Just be yourself — 'tis himself, as we say.

In my Irish family, there's an expression we use when someone walks into a room completely and utterly themselves: 'tis himself. No performance, no pretense — just the full, unedited version of a person showing up exactly as they are.

That was Sonny B to his core.

He wasn't trying to be anyone's idea of a perfect cat. He was adorable and opinionated and cuddly on his own terms. He watched the world from his window bed like a small, dignified prince. He gave comfort freely — a slow blink here, a warm curl against your side there — and he asked for what he needed without any drama about it. (ok, occasionally something got swiped off a table)

People connected with him immediately. Because realness does that. It bypasses all the noise and goes straight to the heart.

Your brand works the same way. The most magnetic thing you can put into your business — more than the perfect font or the most clever caption — is the genuine, unfiltered version of you. The one that shows up even on the hard days. The one that your right people will recognize immediately.

The tip: Find one place this week where you've been performing instead of being. And then — just be. 'Tis yourself, after all. That's more than enough.

Rest easy, Sonny B. You were 'tis himself in the very best way. 🐾

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Amy Crosby Photography serves Western Massachusetts and Southern New England. Specializing in brand photography that tells stories worth sharing. 413-827-6004.

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The Unexpected Business Lessons My Pet Taught Me

1. Take the breaks. Actually take them.

2. Know what you want — and go after it.

3. Just be yourself — 'tis himself, as we say.

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