why 2019 was a super transformative year & the top 7 highlights.
WHAT A YEAR.
After thinking about doing this post for WEEKS, I’ve finally planted my butt at a cute café on the Upper West Side. Hot cocoa to my right and laptop under my fingers ready to give 2019 a full review and you a peek inside what has happened in my world over the past 12 months.
If you’ve been following along for a while, then you know this was a big year for me. And if you’re new here, welcome. I’m about to give you the scoop on what it’s been like to grow massively both as an entrepreneur and a human being. The good and the challenging.
Truly it’s felt FULL AF and a complete whirlwind of events, especially in my personal life–more on that below!
But from a business point of view, one thing I can’t help but recognize is that I’ve had the honor of connecting with and supporting amazing people. From clients to podcast conversations.
Both making friendships AND helping big-hearted visionaries get out of their own way and step into the work they’re meant to do on the planet—by leveraging the #1 thing that makes them unique and magnetic: WHO THEY REALLY ARE.
I feel incredibly fortunate to be where I am right now, entering year 5 of entrepreneurship with a solid track record and so much growth both in impact and income. Never did I ever imagine this life and this business was possible.
But after lots of trust, hard work, heartbreak, personal growth, and perseverance, I made it happen. And I can honestly say that if I can do it—someone who came from having no professional confidence and struggled to trust her instincts to build something from the ground up—you can too!
I have so many ideas about how I want to have a bigger impact in this new phase of life and in this new decade, and while I may not accomplish any of those things this year, I know in my heart that they’re meant to be birthed—and they WILL BE. Stay tuned for details 🙂
Now, without further ado—
Here are the experiences that rocked my world this year in the best way.
(1) I became a mama.
I not only grew a CHILD inside of my body for 10 months, but I birthed her. It’s still a bit surreal that I experienced that AND have a daughter. Whoa.
I was lucky that my pregnancy was healthy and uneventful. As you’ll read here though, my first trimester was the pits because I had what felt like a 16-week long hangover. Something I had to deal with and hide on client calls, during podcast interviews, and while running my group program YWB IN SECRET.
Thankfully, trimester two and three were much easier. In fact, I felt like Superwoman in the second. The third? I felt large and swollen, and it was SUMMER. Needless to say, I was ready to not be pregnant by the end. And while I knew the birth would not go as planned—because it never does—what I didn’t know was that I’d be in labor for over 40 hours.
After not sleeping for two nights, and not progressing in active labor, I had to do what I really didn’t want to do—use medical intervention. Good ole Pitocin first and then after 4 hours of laboring with that really intensely, an epidural. I was scared to get the former, but I was so tired and in so much pain, I had to. And it was the BEST decision. Because in just a few hours, I was not only able to rest, but I pushed my sweet baby girl out.
Adjusting to motherhood could be its own blog post, but what I will say is this—it’s really hard AND it’s the most magical thing in the world. I’m exhausted and utterly in love with Miss Violet because she brings so much light into my life. It feels incredible to be her main source of comfort (my husband is her favorite too), and such an honor to watch her grow.
So yeah, I’m a MOM. Holy moly.
(2) I made 6 figures in 6 months (+ had my first $30k month).
In 2018, I made a whole lotta money. But I knew that wouldn’t be the case in 2019 because I was essentially taking 5 months off of work. Which meant the first half of the year needed to deliver in a big way so that I could not only increase my first half of the year income (year over year) but also SAVE for maternity leave.
With that in mind, I hit the ground running with my plans for YWB and private client work. I raised my rates and hit every goal I needed to hit. And by July, I had made over $100k.
Why was I able to accomplish this? Because I’ve been in business for almost 5 years and have developed my rhythm. What I attribute to this is: 1) nailing my niche 2) being a messaging rock star 3) marketing my tail off for years 4) having massive amounts of integrity and heart 5) becoming known for my point of view on branding.
While you may see ads on Facebook promising you that you can make 6 figures in 6 months by rinsing and repeating a formula they use, the truth is, it’s more complicated than that. Your business and my business, your path and my path—they’re unique and multi-faceted. And truly, no one’s growth trajectory or milestone marks are the same.
Point is—if you lean into your gifts, nail your messaging, get to know your niche deeply, develop a real solution, and show the world who you really are, success will come. But it’s more about leading with more intuition and soul, than brain and strategy. Which side note, I can help with all of the above in my business mentorship program, Your Wellness Brand.
(3) I supported over 30 entrepreneurs.
Something I’ve become incredibly aware of lately now that I have the contrast of life as a mom with life as an entrepreneur, it’s that I LOVE connecting with my clients. From sales calls to private sessions to my group program—working with amazing humans gives me so much fuel and energy. It just lights me up in a completely different way than motherhood because it’s where I get to use my natural talents. And it feels so good.
Even though I was preggers for the majority of this year, I was honored to serve and show up for the clients I had January through August. I truly believe that because I show my most authentic self in my brand, I magnetize amazing humans into my orbit. Each and every one of them feels like a friend, and it’s so fun to be part of their journey in building businesses.
(4) I launched my first self-study course.
Another part of my plan for 2019, was to launch a passive income stream. That way, even while I paused my podcast and my client work, I could make some money. Have the sales been through the roof for this course? Nope. Largely because I haven’t promoted it enough and need to build it more strategically into my funnel. But I’m so happy to report that over 100 people have bought the course and many have shared really incredible results with me. Check them out here.
(5) I released 34 podcast episodes.
I’ve been having a serious love affair with my podcast, Brand Yourself. Every single time I sit down to have a conversation with an entrepreneur from my tiny NYC walk-in closet, I’m forced to be 100% present, to relax into just talking to another human being, and learn so much in the process.
So many of you have shared how much you LOVE what you learn too, which makes me so happy because the show is designed to inspire you to keep chasing the dream and see it’s never perfect or completely linear for anyone. I’m SO excited for you to tune into season three which launches on Sunday, January 5th.
(6) I slowed down.
Truth? We live in a world where “slowing down” is seen as unproductive and weak. Most of us believe we have to keep pushing and growing in order to be “successful” and seen a certain way. I see so many entrepreneurs thinking they need to reach certain milestones as fast as possible—and while I have certainly put pressure on myself too, what I’ve realized is that life isn’t about the speed of success, it’s about who you were being on the journey.
It was scary once I realized I was going to step away from my business to tend to my baby. A huge part of me wanted to keep on hustling and “do it all.” But when I sat back and looked at this lifetime of mine, I realized that this is my legacy and it doesn’t matter how quickly I get to the ultimate goal. As long as I’m honoring my current season of life and doing what feels right, then I’m successful.
Slowing down has truly allowed me to redefine what that word means to me, and how I want to lead my life and run my business going forward. Because there is no rush. Taking the pressure off actually allows for more growth and more opportunity to arrive versus when we have a lead foot on the gas pedal.
(7) I’ve mapped out my 2020 work/mamahood schedule for Q1.
Something that really stressed me out from the moment I got pregnant was not knowing how I’d be able to pour energy into my business while also being a fully present mother. I don’t want to miss a moment of development with Violet and I want to snuggle with her as much as possible while she’s little. But I also want to get back to work and do what I love.
So, I’ve decided to work part-time for at least the first 3 months of the year so that I can ease back in and simplify things. That looks like working only 3 days a week and having both the support of my mom and a nanny. That way, I can spend 4 whole days with my girl.
Will part-time work allow me to run my business the same way I had before? Nope. Instead of taking on new private clients AND running my group mentorship program, YWB.
So, between Jan – Mar, the only way to work with me is through my program that starts on January 27th. If you want to learn more about YWB, click here and apply.
Whew—totally wrote a novel here, but I hope sharing this was helpful in seeing that entrepreneurship is a complete adventure no matter how long you’ve been at it. Each year presents new challenges and happenings that require course correction and adjustment. But when you have a solid foundation laid, it’s much easier to pivot so that things don’t fall apart.
For me, 2020 is going to be a year of major adjustment as I merge motherhood with business, but I could not be more grateful that I have the flexibility to create the structure and schedule that works best for me. That’s the piece of this wild and crazy ride that keeps on giving.
Happy New Year! And please share below—what was most helpful about what I shared here?
