This time of year is always full of wonder and awe. Nostalgia seems to be floating around like clouds in the sky, heavy with the memories of days gone by and yet light with possibilities and excitement.
As I look back on 2012, I am struck with the realization that this has been a phenomenal year that has taken both myself and my business on a metaphorical roller coaster of ups and downs. January started off with a new direction for my business – that of a consultant. By choosing to feed my business rather than grow it, I have been able to work with people and businesses that would have been out of touch with my previous ‘agency’ model. This has left me nimble and flexible to work with amazing organizations, agencies, independent artists and solopreneurs. Food for the business soul!
To continue on this metaphor of feeding my business, I attended several workshops, retreats and events that blew the lid off my own vision. SVI Vancouver, Narrative Transformations, and my co-working space at HiVE Vancouver all led me through a tornado of excitement. Once the dust settled, I knew that the path I was forging was the right one. The roller coaster of entrepreneurship presents lots of challenges, including the idea that the higher up you go, the greater the fall will be. Yet what I learned this year was that the fall is never painful – as long as you are riding in a strong, secure train, you will stay on those tracks no matter how high or fast you go!
One motif I explored this year, specifically in my public speaking endeavors, was identifying my basket full of eggs. As mentioned in my previous blog post My Bag Full of Tricks, my mother told me that all of the random skills, events, experiences and people I meet are like eggs in my basket, and one day I will have enough eggs to create my omelette. Wise women she is, my omelette appeared to me four years ago in the form of Narrative Communications, and each year I add new and colourful eggs to my vision.
Some of my 2012 eggs for my basket include:
- My first public speaking engagement with an audience of 200!
- Facilitating marketing & branding workshops
- A deeper understanding of Narrative Practices
- Forging partnerships with fellow female entrepreneurs
- Sharing my own stories on my blog and in social media
- Mastering wordpress and learning basic HTML 🙂
- Meeting storytellers around the world and in my own backyard (thank you Twitter!)
It has been a wonderful year, full of surprises and new friends. My goal is now to sit, celebrate each accomplishment, and relish in these blissful moments.
Happy Holidays!
Megan