2014 has been quite a year for me.

Here’s some of what I did this year, and here’s some of what I learned…

This Blog

Well, since you’re here, on this blog, let’s start here.  This year I published 194 posts, with this one, 195…and this is my last post for the year.

Site traffic is up almost an unbelievable 851% over last year.  So thank you to all of the new readers who joined this year.

This blog has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done professionally.  I feel like each post has helped me become a better communicator.  I love to write, and I’m honored that you read.

I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up this pace in 2015, but my hope is to continue communicating my thoughts and point of view for the rest of my life.  Maybe one day I’ll even write that book I keep talking about. šŸ˜‰

I’ve tried to keep up with adding to my favorite posts, so take a look and read some of my favorites.

Public Speaking

This year marks the first year that I was invited to speak internationally.  I can now claim that I am an international speaker.

P.S. Amsterdam is amazing.

In total, I gave presentations, workshops or panels at 20 events, six of which were for GSMi, who produces the Social Media Strategies Summit.

In addition, 2014 was my first year teaching Social Media Strategy at Drexel University as an Adjunct Professor.  I hope to be back in 2015.

I love public speaking, and hope to do many more engagements this year.  I dream of one day commanding 5-figure fees per speaking engagement.  Probably not in 2015, but you never know, the feedback I get is pretty awesome and I’m not about to stop working at it.

The Company

My company just had its best year yet.  We doubled revenues from last year.

I won’t reveal exact numbers because at this point the only number that is important to me, is how many years we’ve been able to stay in business (FYI, we’re going into our 4th year), but I can say that I’m very proud of my company and the work we do.  If I can never print my resume or go on a job interview again for the rest of my life, I’ll be thrilled.

This year I was focused on deepening our relationships with clients and taking on more responsibility.  As a result we’re busier than ever before.

And when it rains it pours as we’ve got more incoming opportunities than ever before.  We’re getting tons of referrals, we’re #1 on Google for just about anything including the words Social Media and Philadelphia, and the opportunities we’re getting are better and better.

Another highlight is that this year in May, we moved into our offices in Old City, which was a massive shift from my home office.  I love our space.  From the espresso machine, to the magnetic whiteboard, to my desk being covered with Spider-Man, it is truly US!

Finally, we have also donated about $1,200 to different charities, which is not nearly as much as I’d like to be giving to causes, but it’s a good start.

Leadership, Delegation & Team

With company growth comes additional responsibility.

More clients means more work.  More work means less time.  Less time requires more people.  So, this year our team expanded.

Jess has been working at least 4 days per week since April, and I could not be more proud of how far she has come.  The quality of her writing, her thinking, and her communication skills have progressed substantially.  I could not have had this year without her.  She is a perfect fit for the kind of culture I’m looking to build.  Thank you Jess.

My Executive Assistant Kathryn was also crucial in the growth of the company this year.  From helping me manage my overflowing email inbox, to helping to juggle my insane schedule, Kathryn helped me get as close as possible to being two people.  It is truly amazing how much she was able to accomplish remotely.  Thank you Kathryn.

Mike Meulstee has been nothing short of a rockstar.  No, seriously.  The level of work he produces, at the speed he produces it, with the professionalism he brings to every project and the ease of working with him…it’s simply staggering.  Mike has brought a polish to everything we’ve done in 2015.  Thank you Mike.

I’ll tell you this…

It is NOT easy to be a boss.  All of my years as an employee gave me the illusion that it would be easy.  Mind you, it’s much easier for me to be a boss than an employee (since that’s nearly impossible), but it’s not easy.  Leadership and Delegation are art forms.

To be a good leader, I need to be worth following.  That means I need to develop and train my people.  It means I need to be aware of how I speak to my team.  When my people need to step it up, I need to know the right way to frame that to keep them engaged and growing, instead of feeling shut down.  In many ways, being a terrible employee has made me a pretty good boss…at least I hope so.

Work-Life Balance

2014 has exposed a giant recurring and gaping hole in my life: balance.

Every year I write a post called “My 3 words…” where I select 3 words to be my themes for the year.  In 2014 my words were: Balance, Growth, and Love.

I guess one out of three ain’t bad.

While I was more balanced than in 2013, I still work too much, and that’s probably due to an uncontrollable urge to build something extraordinary.  However, the burnout is real, and it negatively impacts everything: work, friendships…and sanity.

I was more loving in 2013 than in the previous year, but in the same way that I work too much, I always crave more, and as much as I gave of myself in 2014, I know I barely scratched the surface of the love I have to offer.

While I do find time to meet friends for drinks, go on a few dates here and there, and relax with my dog watching TV, I still feel somewhat guilty about that time as my task list bangs like a drum at the back of my mind even while I’m supposed to be relaxing.

A few other 2014 highlights

2015

I don’t know what 2015 will bring.

We could double revenue again…we could go out of business.

I might publish another 195 posts…I might only post 12.

Just like 2014, it’s up to me to determine what the year will bring.

Thanks for reading in 2014.  Happy Holidays and I’ll see you in 2015.

And if you’d do me a favor, drop a comment on this post about anything that’s on your mind.

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