May and June have been, for lack of a better word, awesome at Awesome Inc.

When you own your own business, sometimes the highs are high and the lows can be low. It’s important to stop and declare victory so you can remember the good when the bad comes, so I will (not so humbly) brag that so far, it has been a summer of growth for us, and I can trace several of our “wins” back to our connections at Awesome Inc.

1. We took home 2nd place (and a cash prize) in the Kentucky Innovation Network/Kentucky Angel Investors Pitch Contest. A big shout out to Theresa, Brian and Melanie for helping me refine and rework our pitch.

2. The legal and marketing services have come in handy more than once, and helped us save our cash flow for contract software developers who are helping us prepare for our next huge release of new features.

3. BizLex published a short article about Hippo Manager. Check it out here. It never ceases to amaze me how Lexington embraces the startup community.

4. We are in the process of fleshing out several new partnerships and we added two new veterinary clinics just this week.

Awesome Inc has been by our side every step of the way this spring and summer, and sometimes I needed them even when I didn’t know I needed them. While we have used the big ticket services offered through the Fellowship, it’s important to mention that they also offer some simple, business infrastructure as well. Last week, I was working on some documents that required me to scan a multi-page document and I didn’t want to waste time at my home office on my one-page scanner. As I was out running errands, I ran into a copy store to use their scanner, but had sticker shock at the price tag. I left, resigned to wasting a lot of time manually scanning this huge document, and when I walked out the door, across the street, like a beacon on a hill, stood the Awesome Inc office. I have to admit, I laughed at myself for not thinking of it as my tool of first resort. There are so many benefits of being an Awesome Inc Fellowship company that I simply forgot about the basic office infrastructure they provide. That simple office infrastructure is huge in terms in time saving (and cash flow saving).

So, what’s new with your startup this summer? How do you stop and declare victory when you are having a good month?

We aren’t the only Hippo growing this summer. Check out Devi, the new baby hippo at the San Diego zoo. Here’s a video by the Washington Post of him learning to swim. Caution: you will say “aww” at least once.