December 15, 2020
December 15, 2020
One of my favorite things, when I remember to do so, is looking back to where I was exactly one year before. I tend to get caught up in noticing how far I have left to go, rather than how far I’ve come. And this year especially packed in the distance.
One year ago none of us could have predicted what was in store for 2020. It feels like we’ve lived five years in one so when I look back at where I was at at the turn of decade, I feel proud. It may not look exactly how I thought it would have, but it rarely does.
One big goal I had last year was investment and education in all things business. And once I did, I didn’t want to stop. I started the year off in a coaching program with Morgan Rapp called Design Biz Mastery. This was probably the largest, but most influential investment I made ever in my business. It completely changed how I was approaching clients, pricing, and sales and helped me finally make a live-able income on freelance work alone. Once I saw the success from my investment I continued to sign up for courses and coaching throughout the year. Rather than taking years to try to figure everything out on my own, I now completely understand the value in learning from experts to accelerate my goals (I’m not a very patient person after all).
Next to signing up for the coaching program, narrowing in on this niche was the best decision I could have made for my business. Last year I decided I was going to start pitching and collaborating with the network of talented people I had already been building relationships with, including aSweatlife, The Space Between, and other fitness instructors I’d taken classes with. And it worked.
Not only has niching helped me attract more clients and build my business, it’s also allowed me to work with clients I love and projects I’m really excited about. Check out a few of my favorites below:
Holly Keskey // Barry’s Bootcamp Instructor, Fitness Professional
Maggie Umberger // Yoga Teacher & Trainer
Kate DeGennaro // Founder of bandtogether
Milly Grey Movement, Liz Cuttica // Corrective Exercise Specialist
Brooke Ballagh // Yoga Teacher
Thoughtfully Fueled, Lisa Schrader // Registered Dietician & Certified Personal Trainer
Vlada Fitness (in progress) // Fitness Professional
As you might have imagined, the triathlon I planned on participating in was canceled. The pool was closed. The lake shore path…also closed. So while I did not hit either of these goals this year, I plan to revisit them in 2021. I did, however, continue to explore other forms of movement from home, something I never thought I could enjoy much before. I dove deeper into strength training and lifting heavier weights. I still biked and ran and did some yoga, but the larger focus on strength training was a great addition to my movement routine.
I think this is a goal I will forever be working on and will never be perfect every day, but setting boundaries around screen time and daily rituals have definitely had a positive impact on my mental health. Now, and going forward I’m learning boundaries I need to set with clients to counteract my draining people-pleasing tendencies. And I’m thinking of tasks I can outside to take a few lines off my to-do list and a little stress out of my day.
I feel a bit of a love-hate relationship with this year. It was hard. Covid, lock-down, change, growth. I can’t find a positive in every hard, but I can find some. And those make it worth it. However, I am very ready for a fresh start in a new year and look forward to what 2021 has to bring.
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Design, Lifestyle
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