David Cushman, publisher of ConnCreatives, recently posed a question to several Connecticut designers: “What was the defining moment in starting your own agency?” For me, it was a simple desire to stop commuting and gain a better work-life balance. For others, like Peter Leeds of Gabardine, the elimination of a corporate position provided the catalyst. Perhaps the best reason was articulated by Brian Miller‘s colleague Tony Leighton, who reasons that having your own business is safer than working for someone else. “When you’re employed by an agency, you have exactly one client. And if they decide to make a change you have no clients. Whereas if you’re a freelancer, you might have 4 or 5 clients or more. One or two might make a change and you still have two or three to fall back on.” As tough as it is to lead and maintain a business, I can’t deny this simple business logic. Visit the “Making the Leap” article at ConnCreatives.