071: Our 2018 Reviews + What to Expect in 2019

After a break from recording we’re back with our first episode of 2019! We love getting a behind the scenes look into other businesses so today we’re chatting about how 2018 went for both of us and what to expect in 2019. You’ll see that we both learned, found ways to grow, and struggled over

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The post 071: Our 2018 Reviews + What to Expect in 2019 appeared first on Get Back To Design.

After a break from recording we’re back with our first episode of 2019!

We love getting a behind the scenes look into other businesses so today we’re chatting about how 2018 went for both of us and what to expect in 2019.

You’ll see that we both learned, found ways to grow, and struggled over the last year, but we’re so happy with where things are right now. Let’s dive in!

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Kory’s Review

Kory here! 2018 was a really interesting and transformative year for me in different ways. I didn’t have any real expectations for the year, and by December I felt like I had grown and had a much clearer vision for my future.

The Personal Side

The beginning of the year was pretty tough personally. My husband was gone for probably 3.5 months on and off throughout the first part of the year, which meant I was caring for a little one and still trying to transition into being a mom all on my own. The second half of the year was much better, even though he was gone again for the last four months of the year.

Being put into a situation like that where you have to navigate a major life change all on your own really forces you to be strong. It was really amazing for me to realize I can get through and balance everything all on my own.

The Business Side

When it comes to my business, I feel like this is where things get really interesting. I have a lot of fraudy feelings laying this all on the table, but I want to be honest so you all know that you’re not alone when you go through struggles in your business.

I worked with 5 clients throughout 2018, and I thoroughly didn’t enjoy the majority of them. Sometimes that happens in business and you just have to keep pushing through and refining your messaging and marketing so that you can attract clients who are better for you.

However, after several years of getting clients who aren’t the worst but the projects end up derailing, I’ve decided to scale back my 1:1 work for 2019. It’s hard to do because I truly love design so much, but I’m shifting my focus to Coded Creative so I can continue to generate income, be creative for myself, and have the freedom I desire.

At the end of the year, even though I had a lot of hard nights with Emma and some big changes in my business, I realized that right now I’m happier than I’ve ever been, and I’m really excited about 2019. This year I’m focused on Coded Creative and helping other designers (aka you!), saying heck yes to fun content, and soaking up family time.

Krista’s Review

Krista here! Overall, 2018 was a great year for me personally and in business. There were some really high and low moments in both, but that’s just life, right?

The Personal Side

The year started off with a bang when my husband and I welcomed our sweet daughter, Tahlia. I took January through March off of work to spend time with her and recover myself.

Another big step was buying our first home and moving back to our hometown in August. It’s been so nice to be within minutes of our moms and be able to visit family whenever we want. Tahlia loves the extra company!

The Business Side

As far as business goes, 2018 was a year of constant adjustments while trying new things and learning to balance a business with a baby who I knew from the beginning I wasn’t going to send to daycare full-time.

For my Krista Rae brand, I hosted an online summit a couple weeks after my maternity leave and it was a big hit. The excitement with that definitely helped the adjustment that came with leaving Tahlia with a nanny a couple hours per day.

July and August were rough months as I had no clients and no inquiries. It was one of those seasons where I was questioning everything I did and considering a traditional job.

Luckily, at the time I was working with Kory on my new brand and website, which kept me distracted. By the time we were done things were back to normal with a full client schedule.

Overall, 2018 was a great year for that brand. It’s stable, doesn’t take a ton of extra marketing work from me anymore, and I make as much money as I need to, which has been super freeing to realize.

Something I focused a lot on in 2018 was simplifying anything and everything I could. However, later in the year I apparently had things too simple and decided to start a completely new business teaching others how to host online summits.

It took off well and I love the idea of it, but as of writing this, I’m not quite sure where it’s going to go. With my realization that my development work is bringing in all the money I need, I’ve had a hard time convincing myself to start the hustle all over with a new business.

So for now, I’m going to take things slow and let the funnel I have set up do it’s thing.

For the first few months of 2019 I want to focus on my development work without a ton of extra stuff and see what one stable business and more time for life looks like.

What to Expect in 2019

In 2019 we’re changing things up here on the podcast. We’ll publish two episodes per month – one with a topic we want to talk about and another with a guest.

With that being said, we need to know what you want to hear from us and which guests you want to hear from! Coming up with topics is the hardest part for us so head over here anytime to share your requests.

Action Step

Let us know what topics you’d like to learn about and what guests you’d like to hear from in our 60 second survey!

The post 071: Our 2018 Reviews + What to Expect in 2019 appeared first on Get Back To Design.