I recently passed the eight-year milestone in business. I’m taking some time to reflect on the past year and fondly recall the many lessons I’ve learned since starting Appeal Marketing.
As I mentioned in year seven, I have spent the past year leading the Southeastern Wisconsin Schools Alliance, which remains my primary focus. However, I also have time for several non-profit clients and an ongoing email marketing client.
This winter, I provided PR and communications support to a local historian. She was thrilled with the amount of news coverage she generated with my guidance. Here’s some of the coverage:
- Journal Sentinel Menomonee Falls is getting its first Wisconsin State Historical Marker thanks to Fussville.
- Fox6 covered the historical marker dedication event
- Catholic Herald: New Historical Marker Honors Early Catholic Community
- Menomonee Falls Express News
She kindly referred to me as her “media compass” in a heartfelt thank you. I was touched – I’m so glad to help make a difference for my clients, especially in my hometown.
Eight Years of Appeal Marketing
The most noticeable change is how my kids appear in our annual Appeal Marketing celebration photo. My little elementary school-aged children have progressed to their teenage years and agreed to pose nicely for a picture. This doesn’t always happen, though; see year six. My daughter gets bonus points for dressing in an “on-brand” color.
As I mentioned in some of my earlier blog posts, I started my own business to have more flexibility with my schedule while still engaging in meaningful work. This holds true even today. It has been a blessing to be able to balance work, family schedules and responsibilities, and downtime.
I still stand by the lessons in entrepreneurship that I wrote about after my first business anniversary:
- Ask for help – or delegate: this applies to any facet of your life, including work, home, volunteering, and so on. I’m grateful for friends, family, and business connections who have been excellent sounding boards and idea-generators. Life is easier and better with support from Team Olig.
- Get out of your comfort zone: I’ve attended networking events when I haven’t known anyone. It’s not always comfortable, but be brave and give something new a shot.
- Find your style: yes, just be yourself and do what feels natural and authentic.
- Balance is key: I’ve employed time-blocking and scheduling strategies to help organize my week and maintain healthy boundaries. I highly recommend How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life by Nir Eyal for actionable tips.
- Never stop learning: I like reading, listening to podcasts, and attending webinars to stay current and to help myself improve as a leader, marketing professional, mom, wife, and volunteer.
Last but not least, I want to thank my husband for believing in me and supporting me throughout my career decisions. Recently, he has increased his volunteer involvement, so he’s leaving for meetings more often than I am! I appreciate his hard work and dedication to our family, which has been a constant throughout our nineteen years of marriage. I’m blessed to lead Team Olig with him. Here’s to a great year eight and beyond!