What's Happening in 2020? My Mid-Year Check-In
I finally wrangled the courage and time to write my first yearly review, and I’m doing it seven months in. Oops.
In my defense, the last six months have felt like six years, and I’ve all but adopted the notion that time is a social construct. Regardless, I figured it best to chronicle what’s been happening and how I feel about it all.
HubSpot
Since I was hired on the HubSpot Blog, a lot has changed. I’ve been promoted twice, and I currently own and operate two internal marketing programs. These have allowed me to test the waters outside content marketing and stay better connected to folks across the organization.
My role on the blog team has also expanded to include more SEO, content updates, experimentation, and analytics. I love my job, but I really miss going to Boston to work in the office and meet with my team and friends in person. Hopefully, I’ll be able to do that in 2021.
My HubSpot team donning our matching team shirts in Back Bay
Omniscient
Earlier this year, two HubSpot co-workers and good friends of mine asked me to join their content marketing agency — Omniscient Digital. They’d officially founded it a year prior and were looking for a Head of Content as they ramped up their client base and content production.
David and Alex are two of the smartest, savviest people I know, so I was more than honored to join their team. Since I started in April, we’ve grown our customer base three-fold and continue to bring potential clients down the pipeline.
Omniscient has given me a chance to massively improve my strategy, creativity, and management — three muscles that don’t yet fit into my role at HubSpot. I feel like I was given my very own room to decorate for myself, and I can’t do anything wrong (unless I scare away clients, of course).
I’ve learned so much from David and Alex. I’m not sure if they mean to, but they actively teach me priceless lessons about confidence, communication, collaboration, writing, and growing an agency. Working alongside them is the best form of osmosis.
Freelance Writing
My freelance writing projects have significantly slowed since the start of the year. I’ve had quite a few requests but have turned them down due to bandwidth constraints and passion projects. Instead, I’ve focused on HubSpot and Omniscient as well as redesigning my website … and ramping up a blog (not this one, but they may become one and the same).
I’ve wanted to blog for a long time, but it’s very uncomfortable for me to be personal in this public, judgemental space we call the internet. I’ve spent years watching my friends and idols post personal, thought-provoking content online and have felt … envious — a sign that, perhaps, I should give it a shot. Honestly, the thought of reconciling who I am in person and who I am online is quite scary; I’ve unintentionally kept these personas separate. Why? I’m not sure.
More important than any of this, though, is the feeling that I have some important and impactful stuff to share with others. My career growth. My relationships. My mental health. Who knows? The stories I have to tell may help others with what I’ve struggled with in the past. Over time, I hope this takes priority over any fears and insecurities I harbor.
Relationships
Although socially distanced, my relationships this year have felt stronger than ever. I’ve fostered some amazing friendships from many different parts of my life — hometown, new town, work — and don’t think I would’ve coped with this year had it not been for my friends and family. Also, let’s not forget about my two kitten specimens. Pet love is the best love.
Sebastian and Stitch, wondering who you are and why you’re staring
My relationship has been another lifesaver during quarantine. I met Austin on NYE 2018, moved to Chicago eight months later, got engaged about a year after that in August 2019. Our relationship has been accelerated from the get-go — a side effect of “when you know, you know” — and our wedding plans were no different. We were set to get married NYE 2021 … until #COVID-19 came into play.
A few weeks ago, we decided to shift our wedding back to Fall 2021. The rescheduling process was ridiculously stressful — it wasn’t as much about losing our dream wedding as it was about juggling the myriad of decisions, opinions, and people.
Thankfully, ironing out the details this second time around has gone smoothly.
The other day, I was updating my boss Christina (another amazing friend and mentor in my life) about this, and she said something profound: “This quarantine has really shown us how we feel about things when the momentum stops.” Sure, our wedding has gotten the short end of the stick, but this process has made me more grateful than ever to have Austin, my best friends, and my family at my side.
What has the pandemic put into perspective for you?
Health
2020 has been my most and least healthy year yet.
On one hand, I started “owning” more of my health than ever before. I fell more in love with OrangeTheory, began running outside (something I swore I’d never do — especially in 95º heat), introduced stretching, light yoga, and a probiotic to my daily routine, and visited my chiropractor and therapist on a weekly basis.
Still baffled that a three-mile run only yields like 225 calories
The health highlight of this year, though, was hitting one year gluten-free — a habit I tested to help my IBS that ended up healing my migraines, clearing my skin, and completely changing my life.
In the same vein, however, 2020 has also been a tough year health-wise. My mental health has certainly been affected by stress and anxiety — two things that inflame my system no matter how gluten-free my diet is. I’ve had a wonky attitude and appetite, and I’ve lost some weight I didn’t have to lose. I’ve put so much pressure on myself about work and purpose that I’ve nearly quit my job and/or thrown my laptop out my ninth-story office window.
So, I’ve got plenty to work on.
TL;DR: 2020 has been a great year for my physical health and a not-so-great year for my mental health. I guess it’s a good thing I’ve mastered the art of consistent therapy.
Travel
It goes without saying why I haven’t done as much travel this year as usual. I’ve still been able to fit in some fun (and safe) trips with loved ones.
January brought me to Boston for Marketing Kickoff Week at HubSpot and then directly to Charleston for a bachelorette party — two quite opposite but equally as fun trips.
My team at LEGOLAND for Marketing Kickoff
On Valentine’s Day weekend, Austin and I went to San Antonio with his cousin/my best friend Taylor and her boyfriend Adam to visit their grandparents and extended family. We played hours of Mexican Train, spent some time at the Riverwalk, and took a day trip to Austin to visit our other friend, Erin.
Austin is so warm in February! I didn’t need that sweater at all
In early March, I went to Louisville for a long weekend to visit family and friends and wrap up some (now moot) wedding details. We visited some old watering holes and pretended we were 23 again.
We stuck pretty close to home for the next couple of months, save for a quiet week we spent in Louisville for our birthdays. On Memorial Day weekend, we drove down to Florida to visit our grandmothers who live in Daytona Beach and on Amelia Island. It was a much-needed getaway to be in warmer weather. We didn’t do much there besides swim, sunbathe, and catch up with family.
Socially-distanced dining on Fernandina Beach
My most recent trip was back to Louisville for almost two weeks. We went down to celebrate Independence Day with friends, and I stayed the week or so after to get a change of scenery. I didn’t do much by way of excitement, but it was nice to have a backyard and car.
We have a few fun (and safe) trips on the horizon, too. Later this month we’re headed to Kentucky to spend a weekend with friends on the lake — a very special place in my life. In mid-August, Austin and I may be joining his family for a houseboat trip. Austin is in a small wedding in Kansas City on Labor Day weekend. We may go camping and white water rafting with my family in October.
Travel for the remaining half of this year may look different than I originally planned — I was hoping to do my first solo international trip — but I’m actually OK with it. I don’t need distance or crowds to constitute a good getaway. These low-key vacations still satisfy my travel bug while guaranteeing quality time with loved ones.
As For the Rest of 2020 …
Outside of world peace, I have a few high hopes for 2020.
First, I’d like to give myself a damn break. Drive, discipline, and downright perfectionism have gotten me this far, but this approach is hardly sustainable in the long run … especially with this unprecedented amount of existential stress.
For the rest of this year, I’d like to do things only for one of three reasons: 1) because it’s part of my job, 2) because it’s fun, and/or 3) because it helps someone else. Behind me are the days of doing things because I feel I have to.
Secondly, I’d like to learn at least one hobby outside of working, exercising, and watching TV. I love TV; it’s been a good friend to me during both depressive bouts and anxious episodes, but it hasn’t gotten me out from behind a screen. I also hasn’t taught me anything radically new. I’d like to learn a language, pick back up an instrument, or build something. We’ll see.
Lastly, I’d like to do this more — write about me. This is scary to me, opening myself up like this to criticism and judgment. But, as I said above, I also think it’s a good way to connect with people and maybe help someone who needs it … and that’s reason number three from my list above.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading! Tweet me or comment below and let me know your thoughts.
