What is success?

I always find this an intriguing question. When I started my company just over 3 years ago, I recall a moment where I sold my first pair of shoes. I left the meeting with a ￡100 cash deposit in my wallet and I jumped into my car, called my wife, and I could barely get my words out... "I've made it" I do recall was one of the phrases I uttered (yes, after just one sale, I really had made it)...

It was success for me. Success was that I had managed to create a product that someone else was willing to pay me their hard earned money to have. It was a true, raw moment of joy and amazement, I'd made it! I'd created a business!

Truth is, looking back, lots has changed since then but how I measure my success is still the same. It didn't matter then that I was at a considerable loss financially and I actually made no money on that pair of shoes. My 'success' was a pure rush of adrenaline and satisfaction. My 'success' was, and is, that emotional attachment to anything I see as an achievement.

I don't think I'll ever measure my success with numbers - perhaps I'm wrong not to do that, I don't know, and perhaps it'll hold me back, but for me it's only ever the amount of joy running my business gives me. The challenges, the customers, the satisfaction every time I get that 'Congratulations, You Have A New Order' email from my web host and the challenge ahead of me to create something special. That is my success.

I'd love to hear how you measure success...