How long did it take for your business to really take off?

[Gregory D Coburn]

I have been trying to explain to my wife that there is a "threshold" in real estate business where it takes a lot of effort, time, creativity, and will power to get to, but once you get there momentum takes over and your business really starts to take off.  Another way to think about it would be your pushing a bolder uphill, step by step you make progress but it can be exhausting, eventually you get to the top and the bolder starts rolling down the other side and things get much easier.  It doesn't mean stop doing what got you to this point, only that cash, experience, networking, marketing, are all operating more autonomously and things should feel easier.  

That being said, if you think back on your business, was there a specific time where you felt like this was the case?  Was a number of deals or cashflow number?