2018—a Look Back and a Step Forward

As one year ends and another begins, we find it the perfect time to take a moment to reflect on common themes, discuss what we’ve learned, and determine any shifts we want to make in the year ahead.

Here’s what 2018 has taught us.

Reinvest in yourself

When you are early in your career there’s a clear tie to the power of education and new experiences as an important investment in your professional path. But as time passes, it’s easy to forget that you have to keep investing to continue seeing returns. In 2018 we took measures to reinvestment in our exposure to new ideas, new people, and new ways of solving problems. It’s paid off in tangible and intangible ways, and it’s a practice we plan to carry forward for years to come.

Own your awesomeness

We’ve all been there. Imposter syndrome—that awful feeling that maybe you don’t really deserve to be seen as an expert for what you do. That voice in your head that says, “if I can do it, so can everyone else, right?” Wrong. Your talents, your skills, and your awesomeness is a result of hard work, dedication, and perseverance. If you’ve done it, be proud to own it. This is a lesson we’ve been reminded of this year. Although we believe there is always more to learn, that doesn’t discount what we already know and the unique perspective we offer.

You gotta deliver

Too many times in the past year we’ve run into things that look good from the outside, but they turn out to be all frosting and no cake. We’ve learned, it’s the cake that matters. The stuff on the inside, the actions that a brand takes to show it’s real and it’s committed to living up to what it says it believes. Our brand is no exception. We’ve worked hard to take action this year and deliver real cake for every client and every situation. And we help our clients to do the same so their brands deliver something sweet to look at and wonderful to taste.

Small changes add up

We all want change to be quick and easy. It’s not. Real change requires thoughtful planning, purposeful action, and unfortunately, a significant amount of time to see the results. We’ve been making small changes over the past several years and 2018 was a year where we really started to see some outcomes. It was a great reminder that small steps and incremental shifts do add up over time, and if you are patient and persistent, change will come.

Life is short

We all know this, but every now and then our world flips on end and gives us a refresher course. 2018 was that kind of year for us personally and professionally. It reminded us that we need to take advantage of opportunities when they arise, make time for what’s really important in life, and avoid working with toxic people or discouraging ideas. There’s plenty of good in the world, and we are ready to put our energy there as we move into 2019.