2021 Business In Review
Here we are at the end of another year. I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking: “Whew, this year was a doozy and it just flew by!”
But one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in life and business is that it’s important to pause, reflect, and celebrate all the amazing things that happened over the last 12 months. And so that’s what I wanted to do today.
Here’s a visually summary of the highlights from 2021.
A Little More of the Story
I am so honored to have worked with 27 clients over the past 12 months. I feel like I’ve really found the niche where I enjoy working the most, and where I can be of service with my approach to design and websites the most. And that’s with coaches, therapists, space-holders, and service providers. The ones who are doing big things in the world. And it’s my privilege to help them elevate their brand visuals and websites to match the caliber of work they’re doing.
Here are some big wins my clients had this year:
wrote and published a book
moved into a new physical space and shifted into offering classes
hired more therapists to join them in their practice
launched new offerings to great success
quit their day job to go all-in on their side-hustle
changed their business name to better reflect their brand, mission, and dream clients
won 1st place in their Community Choice Awards for their industry
brought in and taught over 30 new students
and survived year 2 of the pandemic (no small feat!)
If this sounds like the place that you’re at in your business and would love some support in elevating your brand and website, I’d love to work with you too. Click the button to learn more.
Rebranding My Own Business
This was the year when I took myself through my rebranding process, and Your Ampersand Studio became Dawn & Delight Creative. And let me tell you… it’s been a game-changer. Making this name change has been a breath of fresh air for me creatively. It better aligns with my personal and business values, how I want to show up, and the ways that I can help and support other creative entrepreneurs. I’m so glad I made this move and in 2022 will be working on the trademarking piece too.
I had a lot of help in choosing my new business name from Jennifer Walter, Oliva from Let’s Go Studio, Erin from Product Powerhouse (my biz bestie), and my Elevated Joy Mastermind ladies. Here are some resources that helped me.
Travels in 2021
This year I made a couple of business trips, and I was lucky enough to do them with Erin. We travel well together and I enjoy her company so much. The first trip we made was in May for our Elevated Joy Mastermind Retreat. We met up with Kaylan from Joy to Lead and Abbie from Paragraph Branding in Nashville for a 4-day biz retreat. We did hot seats for each of us, deep-diving into our business goals and plans, had a super fun photoshoot together, and just drew closer and friends. It was a highlight of 2021 for sure!
The next trip we went on was to Utah. We met up with Amie The Brandograher for a branding photoshoot for me. It had been 5 years since I last had a photoshoot done for my brand, and with my new name, it felt like the perfect time. It was a quick trip, but Utah is so gorgeous. I want to take my husband back soon for a landscape photography trip!
In June Chris and I went on a California road trip for our anniversary. It’s our favorite thing to do together, and we’ve made the journey down to Sacramento three times now. Loved getting my feet in the ocean again.
Then in October Erin and I went to Coeur d’ Alene for our 2nd Annual Fall Business Retreat. That was a much-needed 2-day getaway to reflect on the year and plan for 2022. We share an office together, but sometimes it really helps to get into a different space physically to change your perspective and work specifically inside of our own businesses. The little house we stayed in was so cute, and I got to do new headshots for Erin while we were there.
Highlights From Each Month
January: We bought and moved into our new house.
February: Erin and I moved into a new office space together that has no upstairs neighbors and better heating and cooling.
March: The Memorial of Christ’s Death - second year viewing on Zoom
April: We got our Covid19 vaccine.
May: Travels to Nashville and fun with friends.
June: Roadtrip to California for our 14th wedding anniversary.
July: Pink hair for summer time.
August: Listening to a powerful audio book on a long drive and taking a selfie to remember the moment.
September: Shooting Julianne and James’ wedding in Wenatchee with Chris as my second shooter.
October: Mini shoot with Bre Rachelle.
November: Creating, designing, and launching The Dawn Approach - my new signature process for branding and website design.
December: Getting to know our new kittens, Cadence and Rythm, even better.
What a year it’s been. A year of lessons, and growth, and hard times, and loss, and pandemic, and deepening relationships, and changes, and life. I’m so here for it and all that’s coming next.
Thank you for being here and on this journey with me.
