If there’s one thing I learned from 2018, it’s…. well I learned a lot this year! 2018 was an extremely challenging year for me personally, as well as for my business. It pushed me to work harder than I’ve ever worked before, it challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone and try new things, and it encouraged me to keep going even when things don’t seem to be getting better. But with all of the things I learned this year, I thought I’d write a reflective post on the highs and lows of 2018… it always feels good to reflect on the year once it’s come to a close.

I did a lot in 2018. I planned a Galentine’s networking event for women, I spoke at my first networking event, my photographer friend Swish + Click and I went viral with a Harry Potter themed styled shoot, I worked with over 50 amazing clients, I even spoke at my first conference! 2018 was the year of challenging myself. Challenging myself to go above and beyond what I thought was possible, challenging myself to step outside of my comfort zone, and most of all, challenge myself to do things I never thought were possible! But I think the biggest lessons I learned in 2018 was the year of patience & growth.

This year was the year of a lot of growing pains. There were many months of struggling, of not knowing where my next job or client would come from. There were many months of self doubt and not feeling “good enough” and of course, many months of the comparison bug talking in my ear. You see, my whole life I was told you’re not good enough or you’ll never get to do what you love because “it’s not realistic”. I’ll never forget those words because for years, I believed them. I let them haunt me and control how I felt. This year was the year of letting those voices go. The year of pushing myself to be better than those voices and to not let them control how I felt about myself and my business. I’m not going to lie, it was NOT easy and I’m not perfect by any means, I’m still working at those things day to day. But my main focus was a mindset shift and no longer letting those things hurt me anymore.

A few years ago I stumbled upon a video of a speech Jim Carrey gave at a college. He said,

“Fear is going to be a player in your life, but you get to decide how much. You can spend your whole life imagining ghosts, worrying about your pathway to the future, but all there will ever be is what’s happening here, and the decisions we make in this moment, which are based in either love or fear.So many of us choose our path out of fear disguised as practicality. What we really want seems impossibly out of reach and ridiculous to expect, so we never dare to ask the universe for it. I’m saying, I’m the proof that you can ask the universe for it..My father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that was possible for him, and so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant, and when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job and our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”

Hearing someone who has been through the same struggles I have and seen someone go through them, is so inspiring. Sure, I’m not a world renowned comedian and I don’t have a bunch of movies, but what I do share in common is taking a chance on doing what I love. Almost 2 years ago, I launched my business with nothing. And I literally mean nothing. I walked out on my part time job, came up with this idea to launch my own freelance business, and with the support of my amazing fiance and family, I did just that. If you would’ve told me 4 years ago that I’d be setting my own schedule, meeting amazing clients each and everyday, and doing things like speaking at conferences, I never ever would have believed you.

As 2018 comes to a close and 2019 begins, I’m grateful, and so thankful for everything this year has taught me. Every bump in the road, leap of encouragement & success, I’m so incredibly thankful for it all. 2019 is right around the corner and this year I see it as 365 days, 365 opportunities. Opportunities to grow this dream of mine, work with incredible and amazing clients, and keep on going! This is only the beginning for my business, and I cannot wait to look back and say “If you would’ve told me…I wouldn’t have believed you!”. I am so ready for this new year and every thing that comes with it. A new year, a chance at a fresh start and to see what the future holds. Cheers!