The 10x Employee isn’t someone whose raw work output equals 10 times the raw output of a peer co-worker in the same department. (Is it even possible to answer ten times the number of customer inquiries per hour, or fulfill ten times the number of packages over a peer employee?). Rather, the 10x Employee is distinguished over peers by delivering ten times the top-line value of their salary to the revenue and productivity of the business, through operational, motivational, or cultural contributions.

I have a different perspective on the classic adage: “Do what you love for a living.” Indeed, there are few people who can actually find a calling early in life and then pursue that dream as a career. So, are the rest of us doomed to a fate of unsatisfying career compromise? I don’t think so. From my experience, I hold that it’s possible to start a business for practical reasons and then learn to “love it.”

Despite the adversity of the market timing, I was able to grow my business quickly at a 200% YoY rate, quickly reaching mid-7-digit gross sales numbers, from 2007-2010.  Here are 6 lessons I learned while growing my business through the last recession.