Let’s be frank for a few seconds, 2020 has not been a walk in the park. We have seen over 1.8m deaths from an incredibly dangerous pandemic*. We have watched the lives of innocent POC’s be slaughtered for no reason other than the color of their skin. We have watched the POTUS make a fool of the American health system, and that’s just the beginning. Through it all though, finding the silver lining is honestly what got me through this year. If you read my Letter From Quarantine, you know my feelings already. We all have struggled this year, and even if you had just one win, reflecting on it, to me, is what will help move us out of the 💩 that was 2020, and into a better and brighter year.
Why I am reflecting on this really crappy year.
For me looking back on the good is important to help me appreciate the hard things. Through all of the crap, I still am thankful for the growth and development that came out of the hard times. Without it, it wouldn’t have pushed me to do what needed to be done to grow and thrive as a business. I am thankful for the hard times, and understand that I am privileged enough to look back and be thankful for them. So without further ado, I give you a Year in Review of The D. Diaries!
I like to place all of the really hard and really scary things I accomplished in frames on the wall. It reminds me that I can do anything I set my mind to.
Breshell West, @breshell
Number 5 : We grew our team
I seriously don’t know what I would do without my PR Director, Liv. She joined our team after a really AWKO TACO interview, literally my first one e v e r. She brings patience, drive, consistency, and dedication to the team. Liv is one of those people that when they’re on your team, you get it done. Our meetings are so productive, we planned an entire years worth of content in 5 hours. Like top to bottom, signed, sealed, and delivered DONE! I thank God every day for Liv, as she really is just what I was missing when it comes to developing my business. So thanks Liv for being awesome!
Number 4: “This is my two weeks notice”
In the middle of a pandemic, after much deliberation, I quit my job. It wasn’t the butterflies and happy sauce that one thinks you feel when you quit your job to become a full time influencer and content creator. I won’t lie, I was scared. Through quarantine though, I took the time to live as if I was a full time content creator and I had to get paying gigs to pay my bills, and that drive and motivation worked. It pushed me out of my comfort zone I had been living in with my blog for the past four years and made me see that I was good at this. (And also I had so much fun creating content for businesses!) It also made me see that I love helping small businesses in Denton grow. I love hearing their stories, getting to know them, and above all, developing stellar content for them!
Was quitting my job mid pandemic scary as heck, you bet. But it is a pivotal moment in 2020 that pushed me to become a stronger business woman,
Number 3: Launching “Denton Guides”
January turned into February, which turned into March, which turned into a full blown lock down. And through all of that, I was attempting to launch the first Denton Guide. A complete directory of local businesses to shop and support right here in Denton! What was supposed to come out in February ended up going live in July, but I didn’t care. I had LAUNCHED A PRODUCT! Now, we have partnered with Discover Denton to produce the previous Denton Holiday guide, a first for our city. Complete with $100 worth of discounts, my favorite gift finds, and more! The Denton Guides are here to stay, and I can’t wait for all of you to see the 2021 guides. They’re going to be EPIC!
Number 2: I Found What Makes Me Happy
It’s cliche, but in 2020 I had quite a bit of spare time to reflect on who I was, where I came from, and what I want to do with my life. At first, the thought terrified me. At the beginning of the year, I was working with a life coach who was helping me work through business growth and manifestation and how my past traumas and insecurities were blocking my personal growth from manifesting. I was going through a best friend breakup, knowledge that the virus was coming for the US, stress in a job that left me dog tired day in and day out, and overall just felt like a shell of my once bubbly self. Through the practice of manifestation, goal setting, healthy diet, exercise, and boundaries (I really cannot stress enough how important boundaries are in growth) I was rediscovering what it meant to be Lillia.
It was when we took a trip to the sand dunes around my birthday that I realized something, My joy is found in serving my heart and making it happy and whole. Dancing in the sand dunes out in the middle of Texas under a hot sun just made me feel free. I felt creative, I felt alive, I felt like the people I was with were my people, but most of all, I felt like myself again. I wouldn’t have discovered any of this without first going through the trauma. Which yes it sucks, but it made me appreciate my souls journey. (Yes I know that’s woo woo but what can I say?)
Number 1: Surviving 2020.
If you are reading this, I want you to pause. Close your eyes. Take a 5 second breath in, 5 second breath out, and tell yourself “You made it” You are at the end of 2020, one of the hardest years in our living lives. You have survived, I have survived, and we did it. We can see the finish line in the distance and we hear the cheers. 2020’s race is almost done, and it’s time to put this nightmare to bed. I’ll be sharing more thoughts on surviving 2020 tomorrow on the blog. Stay tuned, because I get real.
Honorable mentions
Our year wouldn’t be complete without also mentioning these moments that helped us grow into the business we are today! Here are our teams favorite runner up moments in 2020:
- Donating roughly $750 to charity in the City of Denton
- Being accepted into the AccelerateHER Startup Program with Stoke Denton and Texas Women’s University Women Entrepreneurs Center
- Being nominated is the top 3 of Denton’s top blogs
- Successfully launching 3 businesses under The D. Diaries LLC name
Thank you for being a part of our journey in 2020
Every year I become more and more grateful for your support, and what it means to me (and now the whole team!) I am so thankful for your continual support of everything I do here at The D. Diaries. I am so excited for what 2021 has to offer, and can’t wait to share all of the exciting new collaborations and ventures we are taking!
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