Year End 2022
Sitting down to write this, I’m in a local coffeeshop with a hot latte in front of me and the friendly clatter of dishes behind the counter. Not much snow is outside this season, but the winter light still glows white in the windows. I’ve been journaling and reflecting, thinking about the highs & lows and all of the in-between. The numbers have been crunched and the growth percentage absorbed. I’m ready to recap!
JANUARY
I began working on brand design projects more consistently, with more interest booking into the spring. I also got to do a really fun rebrand for Mel Tata Photography! My day job was growing more stressful by the day as we worked on a product rebrand and package design, without much headway.
FEBRUARY
Winter in New England can be a difficult time to navigate, especially late winter. We don’t get leaves on the trees until May! So I decided to plane-hop across the country to visit friends in Texas and Colorado. I even went to Waco and visited Magnolia! During this time, I was working remotely for my day job and balancing a brand design client. I also hired an accountant to help me get my Quickbooks set up and do my taxes for this first year as I worked toward going full-time! I enjoyed exploring with my friends, and the novelty of traveling while working remotely. I returned to NH with fresh eyes.
MARCH
Busy month! I had the most clients at one time this month, and it was a struggle to balance with my day job (which only continued to get more and more stressful). I began job-hunting half-heartedly, but knew that I really wanted to go full time. As I worked with my accountant, I began to see the possibilities of the numbers and feel more comfortable managing my business finances. On the personal side, a close family member passed away, so I took some much-needed time with my family before diving into that decision more.
APRIL
Brand design continued to pick up and I began to realize that I could absolutely go full-time (and could have gone full-time in 2021 if I had wanted to/been more brave). I began weighing the pros and cons in March and continued into April, thinking through why I was still working. My job had very few benefits (no health insurance, no career investment, and a very limited project environment). I was already paying for my own insurance, and as I worked with my accountant I realized that I was ready. All I had to do was Ctrl+P my resignation letter and hand it to my manager... and on April 12, that’s exactly what I did! April 28 would be my last day at my job of 5 years – so bittersweet. I even took a self-portrait when I got home that day.
MAY
Full-time month! After a brief stint interviewing for a possible remote design job, I decided not to pursue that and officially go full-time with my business. May was a big month financially, emotionally, and mentally, but I felt peace. God had opened the door, and all I needed to do was walk through in faith. Here we go! I also wrote a little “one month report” that you can read here.
JUNE
Aaaaaand TANK. I’m gonna be honest – the summer of 2022 was a tough one. Client work slowed down significantly, and I quickly realized that the economy was having a big effect on the small business world. I did my best to focus on the positives! The newly-available flexibility was amazing. I LOVED being able to get up from my computer without worrying about an incoming email or Teams chat, and be able to go for a walk whenever I wanted. I started a garden with my mom, and began weaving more – focusing on my interests was so lovely. I even went strawberry picking and made quite possibly the BEST strawberry jam I’ve ever eaten.
JULY
I enjoyed lots of garden time, walking time, and stressing time. Yes, it was a stressful month. Things were still very quiet in my business. I did my best to invest, reorganize, and look at ways I could be improving in the downtime, but I was worried about the lack of clients. Would it be this way forever? Lots of self-doubt cropped up as I navigated feelings of “am I just a bad designer? Is there something wrong with my marketing strategy? Why am I even doing this?” My sisters and I took a little vacation to Cape Cod which helped take my mind off things – we explored sandy beaches, saw lots of seals, and ate the best burgers we’ve ever had. Thankfully, August was right around the corner…
AUGUST
…and content strategy talks with Kirsten of Alway Services began! This was undoubtedly one of the best investments I made this year for the health of me and my business. Every month, Kirsten and I talk through my content and marketing needs, and she helps me write out content for my business. Staying connected with other small business owners and entrepreneurs has been absolutely crucial this year, and I’m thankful to have a variety of them in my life! While August was still a relatively quiet month business-wise, I felt more hopeful going into the fall season, and tried to enjoy personal things in the meantime. In late July into August, I started walking almost daily, which became a habit that I enjoy keeping up!
SEPTEMBER
The drought was over! Well, sort of. Things worldwide and domestic still felt scary, as gas prices continued to escalate and our electric bills soared. But as a biz friend reminded me, “people need to spend money to make money.” And the inquiries started up again. This is where I compromised, however, and took on a few projects that didn’t match my business goals. Though I needed the income and these projects helped me get over the proverbial hump, I learned some valuable lessons about what I truly want in my business.
I knew I wanted to dive into my weaving and develop Rooted & Rendered more, so I began focusing on building up inventory and creating new product for a few upcoming markets.
OCTOBER
This was a fun month! Dad and I traveled back to Iceland for the second time, and got to experience that rugged country in the fall which was truly lovely. It was good to get away (like, fully away) and explore. We enjoyed 5 days away, and returned to a foliage-rich NH. This month I also turned 30, which was an entire processing exercise on its own. While it’s exciting to enter a new decade, it brought up a lot of reflection as I looked back over the last 10 years of my life. Seeing the way God has worked in my life was encouraging and exciting, and helped me look forward to the next 10 instead of dreading them. Age is good!
NOVEMBER
Work continued to pick up, and I got to design some fun brands this month and into December! I also began reflecting on what I wanted to do with my business going into 2023, and developing my textiles business too. (Take a look at Rooted & Rendered to see what else I’ve been up to!). My sister got married this month too! I entered the holiday season navigating familial changes, and feeling the loss from March. This meant more rest, too – I began knitting more.
DECEMBER
The final month of the year! I honestly wanted to take December off like I did last year, but the bills still needed to be paid and I hadn’t planned far enough ahead to allow for it. (A 2023 goal for sure). I continued to wrap up projects from November and book into January. The holidays were spent cooking & eating yummy food, creating handmade gifts for my loved ones, and spending time with family!
Phew! 2023, I am so excited to step into you! This year, some of my business goals are:
Tracking metrics and learning more about analytics.
Posting consistently on social media without being tied to it (I spent 44 hours total on Instagram in December. That’s 11 hours a week!).
Blogging consistently.
Setting & sticking to a daily routine that will help me be more productive.
Investing in new tools (an iMac is in my future).
Developing my confidence and putting myself out there more to reach new people!
Thanks for joining me on this recap! If you’re still here, what’s one thing that you want to focus on this next year? Comment below!
