By now you’ve probably read a million blog posts and social media posts about how 2017 is gone and Happy New Years blah blah… I wanted to jump on the bandwagon because there were actually many changes that happened in 2017. (AND YES, I’m going to not-humble-brag about them, because this is my blog and I get a chance to be selfish.)
Social Media Strategist Freelance Life
2017 was an important year to me, especially because in May I launched off into the world of digital marketing on my own. After working at one of Alberta’s largest digital marketing firms, I felt that urge to work for myself. I had been getting people wanting to work directly with me and not through an agency, so I figured, YES, I can do this on my own. I learned a lot about time management, how important it was to have processes and systems in place and how quicker communication is when you cut out the middle people and talk to clients directly.
I got more serious about my “brand”/”personal brand” and got to work with the talented Jillian Schecher on my branding (who I would 100% recommend) and started creating more content.
Was I scared? Yup. Did it all work out? YES. I’m SO SO SO grateful for the referrals and the new client inquiries I receive weekly. I am truly fortunate to have a strong support network of other marketers and people looking out for me. (I can’t thank you enough!)
Big Ass Clients
In addition to some of the best small-medium businesses I’ve done work for (and am still doing work for), I got to work with Rogers, the Government of Alberta and Cushman & Wakefield. Never did I think I’d be so lucky to be independently linked to these big names.
Social Media and Digital Marketing Speaker
This year I presented at a full whack of conferences and was the featured/sole speaker for a number of events as well. I got overbooked for one day and had to turn down an event, I felt bad, but for real, these are good “problems” to have.
Social Media Burnout
I was really, really, close to burning out this Fall, but I learned to say no to people who don’t value my time, I learned to say no to people I didn’t want to work with, I learned to say no to a lot of things in general that I should have been saying no to a long time ago. Digital marketing burnout is REAL. People in the industry are ALWAYS connected to their phones, it’s hard to put it away and say you’re done for the day.
The most important lesson was I learned there’s a do not disturb function on my phone for a reason.
Other Fun Stuff
- I met SO many talented business owners, entrepreneurs and marketers. I made new friends unexpectedly and if you know me, I’m pretty anti-social, so that’s a huge feat.
- I flew in a privately chartered plane for the first time. Leather seats and all. It was pretty awesome, I pretended I was a famous female rapper, except I didn’t drink champagne.
- I met my Dudeface and his mini and they’re probably the best thing 2017 has brought outside of work.
- I rode on a quad for the first time, soooo Albertan of me!
- I helped my friends at Unbelts by modelling for their re-brand launch, and I saw my favorite friend, Britney Nugent, doing her thang (I constantly told her her life was like Lauren Conrad’s).
- I got a new tattoo that says “No Bosses” with a grim reaper face from Tyler at Right Hand Tattoo to celebrate freelance life… On that note, if I ever work for you as an actual employee, I’ll expect laser removal to be included in the compensation package.
- I watched lawn bowling for the first time.
There’s more but I can’t remember all of it.
Kbye 2017
If I met you, worked with you or social media’d with you in 2017, THANK YOU for being you. Thank you for all the work, referrals, likes, favorites, comments, shares and retweets. I’m launching something really exciting in January, so keep your eyes peeled or subscribe to my newsletter to get the deets.
K, sorry, you can puke now.