As I openly welcome the New Year, I can’t help but also look back at the amazing year I had in 2014. It was filled with plenty of changes and new chapters. To quickly recap, here’s what happened:
Boulder Tech Startups
I joined the incredible Boulder Tech Startup scene and quickly began building relationships with a few strong leaders within the community. A quick example of this? I happened to be at the Starbucks off of Pearl and ran into the Chief Product Officer at JumpCloud. He quickly hollered my name and pulled me over introducing me to the CEO of JumpCloud saying, “This is the best marketer in town, hands down; I had to introduce you to her.” Not a bad way to make an entrance, right?
Startup Success
There’s a stat out there somewhere that states people have a higher chance of being struck by lightening four times in their lives before succeeding at a startup… Well, I was a part of three failing startups before being recruited to work at another one called, Revolv. Shortly after my time there, the company was acquired by Nest/Google. Though my time there was short-lived, I still played a role in helping to elevate the brand, organize the Marketing department, be seen as a strong leader and mentor to my surrounding colleagues.
Having a Great Mentor Is Important
I finally connected with a select few who mentored me through key decisions regarding my career. For awhile there, I was so afraid that finding one would be impossible – primarily because when I thought I had found one, they just didn’t understand my visions or aspirations. Fortunately, I came across two individuals who helped me for the latter part of 2014, and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have made the major strides I’ve made today. So, my advice to anyone considering on getting a mentor is: DO IT. But make sure the relationship naturally progresses and if that voice in your gut is telling you “no,” then move on and don’t try to force the relationship.
Marrying my Best Friend
On July 25, 2014 – I married my best friend and the only man who captivated my heart for the past 8 years! Many of my friends and colleagues know how high-strung and driven I am with my career and though I’ve made some great decisions in that regard, I will undeniably say that marrying my best friend was the best decision I’ve ever made by far. He’s supported me through the ups and down of being a crazy entrepreneur at heart. For that, I’m eternally grateful for his very presence, love and belief in me.
Finding the Work/Life Balance
I learned the value of listening to what my body is telling me. Back in 2011-2012, I lost a ton of weight and wasn’t living a healthy life. I was up working nonstop, sleeping very little and had 8-10 colds both years. Since undergoing that experience, I knew I never wanted to go through it again. Fast-forwarding to 2014, I made a promise to myself and to my Husband that I would find a better balance. What did I do? I managed my time better; I made better decisions (knowing what’s top priority and what isn’t because I wanted to do it all!); I took care of myself by making time for healthy eating and the gym; I made time to stop, breathe and be grateful.
What Goes Around Comes Back Around
After running my digital marketing company, FastMarkIt, for four years, blogging for two years, and being active on LinkedIn for one year, I finally began seeing the results of my hard work. Instead of doing outreach to get new clients, they started coming to me. Yes, inbound marketing at its best. As every entrepreneurial spirited individual, patience is a hard concept to learn and most give up before they even succeed. I can’t help but gush about the tremendous leaps I’ve made towards the end of 2014. The hard work I’ve pushed for day in and day out are now coming back around with great rewards. Key lesson: 1% of your success comes from 99% of your failures!
Hello 2015, I’m Ready to Meet You
As I continue to trench into my 30s, I’m embracing the notion that the universe will pivot when the time is right, but that my present as well as planning for my future is all within my control. My top goals for 2015 consists of the following:
- Inspire other marketers and entrepreneurs to hustle in order to achieve their goals.
- Be more grateful and continue to express that to the responsible parties in my life.
- Challenge myself in every aspect of life to be better than who I was the day before.
To the New Year, cheers to you and to me!
“The best way to predict the future is to create it.” -Abraham Lincoln
