2020 Year in Review
In a letter to my future self, this is what I wrote on January 1st, 2020:
”It’s the last day of 2020 and what a wonderful year it’s been. Our little baby boy was born healthy and strong in the spring and easing into motherhood has been the most natural experience of my life…. I feel healthy and strong and while I loved maternity leave I was excited to get back to work. Speaking of work, things have never been so smooth and aligned. I have been diligent about time-management. I’ve implemented systems and processes that make my life so much easier.…”
It’s so cool reading that, because that’s true. While 2020 looked very different in terms of world events, it’s still been a year full of blessing, joy, and growth. And while that’s all true, it’s also been a year of lessons learned the hard way, tough moments, and times of thinking “should I just quit?”
Yes, you read that right. At one point (or, several if I’m being honest) I thought I might just close up shop. Because it’s tough. If you’ve been an entrepreneur for more than a minute you know what I’m talking about. And especially with the curveball of 2020. I’ve not only had to shift and change my approach to marketing and my business but I’ve been navigating it all as a new mom – so you know I’m not getting a lot of sleep!
But while it’s been a challenge, I’m up for it. I feel like if I have any characteristic, I have determination. So when something seems difficult or out of reach I want to go for it all the more.
And with that resilience, I persevered, I tried a lot of new things, I did a lot of things I never thought I would do (more on that later) and I clawed my way through. I didn’t meet my income goal, but it just encourages me to try for it again next year.
Here are some of the biggest lessons I learned this year:
Shifting and change is necessary for growth
We all inherently know this, but when 2020 played out, we had no choice but to make changes. Businesses that weren’t limber or quick to pivot had to close up. And businesses that were quick and agile killed it.
For my own business, I found that not a lot of people wanted the whole branding package I offered, but needed smaller services or just the branding or just the website. So with this in mind, I created a new offering called Dedicated Design Day, where I spend a full workday on 1 client’s projects, we charge through their to-do list, and I deliver all final files by the end of the day.
This was a great way for me to still deliver excellent design on a budget while also catering to how I work really well – in collaboration with my clients.
Not only did I need to create and offer new services, but I had to find new ways to market my business. And I found that a lot of the year was spent trying new marketing, testing, and investing in my audience.
This can be a challenge cause it’s a lot of seed-planting and not a lot of ‘money in the bank’ but I kept reminding myself that I WILL reap a harvest, I just have to keep going. So I did.
2. I streamlined my business – even more
I already use and love Dubsado but this year I dove deep. Before I was just using it for proposals and contracts. But this year I got serious about cutting out as much wasted time as possible (a new baby will do that to you). So I set up the scheduler feature, workflows, and automated as much of my process as possible.
This has truly been a game-changer for me. Before I would send emails by hand after someone would sign up for a clarity call. Now, Dubsado does that for me and SO MANY other tasks. I can’t believe it took me this long to get software to do this for me. But, ya live and ya learn.
And one other thing about streamlining your process – you’ll ALWAYS be streamlining your process. So this definitely isn’t a once-and-done situation, but the more you can get automated the better. And the more you go through your process, the more you can iron out any kinks.
THE ONLY SOFTWARE YOU NEED
Through streamlining my process, I feel like I’m truly ready to go to the next level
3. Gratitude & affirmations are now a part of my daily routine
I remember reading about gratitude and affirmations in a self-help book and being like… yeah, ok. And doing a little here and there but never sticking to anything.
But then when I hired my coach this year, she encouraged me to make this a part of my daily routine and she encouraged me to make it as manageable as possible.
I remember Zia was about 6 months old and the most I could do for affirmations was to the ThinkUp app while nursing in the morning and reading the daily Bible verse. For me, that was my routine. And honestly, even though it was super small, it STILL made a difference.
Your mindset plays a HUGE role in your business so it’s really important to keep your mindset strong, and a great way to do that is with daily gratitude and affirmations.
4. Time management and developing boundaries as a new mom
Ohhh… new motherhood. I just wanna say, the first 6 months is hard. While a lot of it is rosy and wonderful, some parts are really tough. The no-sleep part is definitely part is the hardest.
But, one of my main goals for 2020 was to be 100% invested in motherhood and not worry too much about my business. What this meant for me, was finding time in my day and being uber focused with the time.
So my work time was mainly during naps, sometimes on the weekends, and sometimes in the evenings. Any time I could squeeze into my workday I did it.
And whenever I seemed to figure out a system and schedule, things shifted. As they often do with a baby. As I’m writing this Zia will be 9 months old in just a couple days and I feel like we’ve found a good rhythm. But when you’re in the thick of motherhood and trying to figure out work and life, the best thing you can do is first, take a deep breath. And second, allow work to work itself out.
My word for the year was “flow” and I really wanted that to be apart of my business this year. So when I felt inspired to work, I did. When I needed a nap, I took one. I tried to listen to my body and my spirit to guide me with navigating motherhood and business and it worked out pretty OK.
5. 2020 was a year of investing in my business
I spent a lot of money on my business this year – definitely more than I anticipated. But I was able to cause I believed, wholeheartedly, that this was an investment that would get me to my goals – income and otherwise, if not this year, then the next.
I hired a business coach, the amazing Anna Frandsen, because while I’ve very self-motivated, I needed help with focus and prioritizing my attention with the baby.
I also hired my first team member, a VA who helps me with a variety of tasks that can really suck the time away from my day.
These two investments alone have helped me grow SO much. In how I present myself, in my confidence, in how I am on sales calls, in leading a team, and in so many areas.
This type of growth (investing and stretching yourself) is quite uncomfy, but it’s so important when you want to get to the next level. And that’s where I found myself, the precipice of the next level and ready to move onward and upward! So these steps for me are a strong foundation for my business for years to come.
Monthly Recap
January
Started my second year of full-time entrepreneurship!
Shared how to create a business plan for the online business owner in this blog post
Launched the LVL Pottery brand!
February
Had my baby shower and was so thankful to have my friends and family celebrate with me
Talked about the one software you need for your service-based business in this blog post
Launched the Totem Acupuncture website!
Launched the By Rebecca Noe website!
March
Wrote about 5 ways to identify your target audience in this post
My business turned 4 years old!
Wrote about how I was preparing my design business for maternity leave
I went on maternity leave right as the world was shutting down
Our son Zia was born on the last day in March.
April
While on maternity leave, this blog post shared about the best web platform for your coaching business
Soaked up the new mom moments with my babe
May
This blog post shared about my 5 favorite tools to run my creative business
Started to get new ideas for my business and was looking forward to returning from maternity leave
June
Officially back from maternity leave at the end of June
July
In this blog post I shared the 1 sentence your website needs right now
Hired 1-1 support with business coach + mentor, Anna Frandsen
August
• What is marketing collateral and why do you need it for your business? I explain it all here
September
In this blog post I shared a behind the scenes look at the Master Branding Experience
I was featured on The Heart-Centered Entrepreneur podcast!
October
The brand was launched for Felicity Loft!
November
I made over my office and shared about it in this blog post
December
Launched Dedicated Design Days to the public – for a limited time
Took a week off for Christmas!
What’s next in 2021?
With all the progress I’ve made over the last year, with growing my team, streamlining my services, and feeling more confident than ever as a business owner and graphic designer, I’m excited to just keep moving forward while rooted in joy. Yep, ‘Joy’ is my word for 2021 and I’m really excited about it.
I want my work and the things I fill my life with to be joy-filled and to bring joy. Life’s too short to not enjoy the projects you’re working on, the clients you take on, or the media you consume so only immerse yourself in things you truly love.
A few goals I have for 2021: increase my income, I want to continue to work 10-15 hours a week and spend the majority of my time with my family, perhaps hire another team member, only take on clients that are a perfect fit… and a few others :)
Ready to reach (and sign!) more ideal clients in 2021? I would love to help you with high-quality design created to transform how you show up in your business– with confidence in your premium offer. Schedule a free call to chat here!
Do you ever write a yearly review, either personally or professionally?
How has writing a yearly review helped you?
