2019 in Review

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Photo by john schlia

Photo by john schlia

It’s hard to believe that 2019 is coming to a close already. A lot has changed this year. Back in January, I was working full-time at a startup incubator. As I close out the year, I’m sitting at a Wayfair desk in my home office with my dogs snoozing nearby. 

I wanted to take some time to pause and reflect on everything I’ve achieved this year (at the risk of sounding braggy), because it’s important to remember how far we’ve come and to celebrate it. And besides, as a self-employed person, no one else is going to celebrate for me! Let’s do this:

2019 by the Numbers

I love seeing stats, so I thought it would be neat to highlight a few from my year:

Serve Me the Sky Digital

  • Months I’ve worked for myself: 7.5

  • Blog posts published: 17

  • Nonprofit clients: 8

  • Startup clients: 2

  • Multinationals worked with: 1

  • Total 2019 clients: 24

  • CLIMB leadership development program sessions: 5

  • Mentoring sessions with Lauren Dixon: 5

Social Media

  • Social media strategy projects: 7

  • Instagram accounts managed: 6

  • Facebook pages managed: 9

  • Twitter accounts managed: 2

  • LinkedIn pages managed: 2

Writing

  • Bylines in major publications: 3

    • Especially proud of this one in McSweeney’s, since my college humor writing professor didn’t think I was funny!

  • Authors interviewed: 3

    • Interviewing Casey McQuiston, author of Red, White and Royal Blue, was a real treat! Her book won best debut novel and best romance novel in the Goodreads Choice Awards.

Community Involvement

  • Cameron Community Ministries board meetings attended: 8

  • Fundraisers organized for Cameron: 3

  • Books collected for Cameron book drive: 95

  • Times volunteered in the community garden: 2

  • Times volunteered in the soup kitchen: 1

  • Cameron committee meetings attended: 14

I Heart ROC

  • Interviews published: 48

  • Sponsored content deals with national brands: 1

  • Volunteering events: 1

  • Instagram followers: 13,700

  • Sponsored features published: 7

Public Speaking

  • Classes taught: 6

  • Panels spoken on: 2

  • Podcasts/radio shows featured on: 5

  • Panels moderated: 1

  • College classes spoken in: 2

Health & Wellness

Phew! Can’t deny: it’s been an extremely busy year. Those numbers paint a picture of what 2019 was like for me: working hard for tons of different clients, giving back in the community at Cameron, and carving out time for myself through yoga and therapy. 

Lessons Learned

I could write a whole separate blog post on lessons I’ve learned so far as a self-employed human—and I probably will, when Serve Me the Sky Digital hits the one year mark in May 2020. But for now, a few takeaways to focus on:

1) Focus on Fit

I’ve long heard the advice that freelancers should find their niche and dive in deep. If that works for you, awesome! I’m still exploring all the possibilities available to me, and haven’t fully niched down yet. Instead, I’m focusing on fit. 

There are so many factors that play into fit. Do I like the person I would be working with? Am I interested in the work itself? Do I care about what their business does? Will their budget make the work worth my time? It’s a lot to navigate, but I’m learning every day. 

2) Relationships Matter

I would be nowhere without my relationships. While college kids often feel pressured to network IRL, one thing I’ve learned over the past few years is that online relationships are real, meaningful, and valuable. Internet friends have become IRL friends, and have helped me secure new client work! It’s pretty amazing. Be kind, build relationships, and put in the effort to sustain them. It’s worth it. 

3) Real Contracts are Better than Internet Contracts

When I first got started with freelancing about two and a half years ago, I didn’t use a contract for any of my work. Eek! When I went full-time with my business this year, I found a free contract on the internet and started using that. 

After a few months (and close-call experiences), I realized it was time for an upgrade. I worked with a friend at a law firm and he gave me a much tighter legal contract that will protect me if such a situation ever arises. I’ve been lucky so far, but I feel much better having a more legitimate contract in place with my clients.

Looking Ahead

As I look ahead, in the short-term, I’m honestly most excited about celebrating. I’m throwing myself a one-woman Serve Me the Sky Digital holiday party, because I think it’s important to value and celebrate my own work and success. The holiday party will involve lunch, wine, a massage, and maybe a cheesy Christmas movie to wind down the day.

For 2020, I’m pumped to dive into some fun work projects. I’m writing for businesses like StoryCombs (a startup with an innovative app for people interested in family history), the New York Chiropractic College (getting back to my higher ed roots!), and Mason Digital (crafting wedding-related blog content for a local client). I’ll also be seeking out more nonprofits who need help developing a social media strategy and assisting them in putting together a game plan. If that sounds like your nonprofit, contact me and we’ll talk! 

I’ve got a good feeling about 2020. But for now, I’m going to focus on being grateful for and celebrating all the opportunities and fun projects I’ve gotten to work on in 2019. 

What lessons did you learn in 2019? What are you looking forward to in 2020? I’d love to hear it! Tweet me at @servemethesky and share your experience. And for more content about self-employment, social media, and more, check out my unboring email newsletter!