Last year, I kicked off a tradition that I can already tell is going to be a long-time favorite of mine. I sat down and wrote a blog post all about the intentions I was setting for 2019. In 2019, I was focused on the phrase “all in.” I wrote:
To me, all in, feels like embracing the good with the bad. It feels like going all in on client work and projects I love. It feels like going all in when it comes to my personal life, hobbies, relationships, and more. It feels like going all in on every decision I make, every up and down I experience, and everything I choose to pursue.
When writing this, I had no idea what 2019 would hold, and I’m amazed by how much that intention held up.
Year In Review
2019 was a year of intense growth and learning. In my business, we tried a laundry list of new things – and were all in on every single one of them.
What Worked
We tried so many new things this year, and a few of them worked incredibly well for our business. First and foremost, we attended our first-ever team retreat in sunny Flagstaff, Arizona. As a virtual team, getting to meet and plan in-person for a few days was a game-changer. Seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time wasn’t bad, either!
We also tested out several new marketing strategies both internally and with our clients. We had several clients start recording video with scripts we helped put together, clients tried new social media strategies, and we helped to launch several different (and successful!) email campaigns.
Internally, we hired our Director of Content Writing & Strategy full-time – Lauren Straley! She’s incredible, and it’s been such a blessing to work with her. As part of her focus on content creation and education, she released our first-ever e-course all about business writing (you can sign up here!). Our client base nearly doubled in 2019, and we were able to triple our gross revenue as a result – that was a huge win for us! Revenue aside, we love being able to work with such a wide range of clients to grow their businesses. Being able to leverage our skillset to serve them is, as always, a huge motivator for us, and we’re so grateful for all of our clients.
What Didn’t
There were many ups and downs professionally as we tried new things and went through the growing pains that come with stretching outside of our comfort zone. We learned what type of marketing we enjoyed doing, and what kinds of services have the most positive impact for our clients. However, we also learned what types of events and marketing strategies don’t fit our business, as well as what service offerings may not be sustainable for our business growth.
For example, we attended our first conference as a team where we had a booth. It was exciting, and we loved attending and getting to meet with people in person to talk about our services! However, I think we all agreed that the amount of work and resources that went into setting up our booth weren’t worth the marketing output at this stage in our business. We prefer getting to focus on education and connection, and it’s tough to accomplish that in brief conversations in an exhibit hall!
Personal Life
In my personal life, it was truly a year of “all in” as well. My husband and I decided to commit to staying in Northwest Arkansas for the near-term and started building our first house. We nurtured deep friendships, reconnected with family, and explored new hobbies (like kayaking Arkansas’ many rivers!).
We also experienced heartache after losing our pregnancy at five months, continuing our two-year struggle with infertility and PCOS. This was our second loss, and it absolutely had an impact on my personal wellbeing and professional ability to be “all in” and grow.
This is something I’ve been very open about and will continue to discuss as it impacts life and business. Too often, I feel that business owners hide infertility struggles and loss when that only adds to the pressure and loneliness of the journey. So, I’m being candid about it here.
I feel strongly that the intention of being “all in” stayed strong in 2019. Through the ups and downs, the professional and personal growth – I felt fully connected and present through it all, and I’m so grateful that both my professional team and my personal community joined me in the journey.
My 2020 Intention
If 2019 was a year of trying new things and being “all in” through each experience, I see 2020 as being a continuation of those efforts. However, my intention for 2020 is to take a step back and to be more strategic – both in business and in life. My 2020 intention is:
Impact.
To me, impact means so many different things. For Perfectly Planned Content, it means focusing on both internal and external impact. As our team continues to grow, my goal is to encourage each of us to zero in on the ways our wide-ranging skillsets and strengths can positively impact the lives of our clients.
At our team retreat this year, we’re discussing the different services and educational content we can provide that will have an impact on streamlining our clients’ businesses. Even more than that, we want to empower our clients to make an impact through their content marketing.
In life and in business, making an impact means you have to be all in. But it also means you need to focus that intention and be “all in” on the things that are going to move the needle. Whether you want to build out relationships, create a content platform that will help other business owners grow, or work toward your personal goals – focused energy can help you achieve those things. For me, “impact” means focused energy.
What Impact Means For You (And Perfectly Planned Content!)
As we focus our energy on high-impact services and content, you can expect several things from us this year! We’ll continue to provide actionable, educational content for financial planners and business owners about content marketing. We’re also planning to release even more free content to help you move the needle and make an impact with your own business! You can also expect to see some exciting, new things from our team this year that will focus on making an impact in the financial planning profession, and in the lives of our clients. Stay tuned!
Here’s to an amazing 2020!
