2017 in Review
This time last year was pretty chaotic – if I had a pound for every “can’t wait to see the back of 2016” meme I saw, I’d probably have my own island by now. That’s why I’m almost sad to say goodbye to 2017. It’s been incredible: from a professional perspective I met new people and gained new clients; while on a personal level I bought a house, ran quite far and even got a tattoo. (More on that later.) So, in keeping with all the other 2017 summaries I’ve read, here are my professional and personal highlights for the year.
January
Just a few months since the official Katie Lingo launch, in January I acquired some new clients – supplement retailer Inner Me and national charity Deafblind UK. This gave me a better understanding of social media management tools such as Hootsuite, whilst I also learned about the amazing work Deafblind UK does. I turned 27 and began training for the Yorkshire Marathon in October.
Professional highlight:
Acquiring two new clients, one of whom had been recommended by another client!
Personal highlight:
Eating and drinking too much on a Monday evening to celebrate my coming of age.
Moment I’d rather forget:
6am treadmill runs.
Lessons learned:
Slow down gradually on the treadmill to avoid groin pains.
February
Google AdWords really paid off for me this month. An international student, who’d clicked on an ad before Christmas, got back in touch to ask for some writing help with her essays. I’m pleased to say she got a first! I was also tasked with doing some PR for an…interesting Kickstarter campaign. Longer distance runs were on the cards this month, as were aches and pains. Joy.
Professional highlight:
Getting to be a student again with some university essay writing.
Personal highlight:
Having an offer accepted on a house. Ricky Gervais live was incredible too!
Moment I’d rather forget:
Shin splints.
Lessons learned:
Compression socks save lives.
March
Play definitely balanced work this month, as I found myself feasting on Michelin star food and going to Manchester for musicals. Still, this probably helped with the stress of dealing with solicitors and mortgage brokers, as well as my first outdoor long distance run.
Professional highlight:
Writing more wedding blogs for the wonderful Moritz Schmittat.
Personal highlight:
The Meat Loaf musical in Manchester was amazing, as was The Pipe and Glass in Beverley. Go there now!
Moment I’d rather forget:
Arguing with solicitors, though it was worth it in the end.
Lessons learned:
Keep complaining and you will get things done!
April
I headed over to Barcelona with my lovely friend Lucy this month, just before moving into the new house, so April was quite the blend of stress and relaxation. I also acquired a new client, TS Grale, and began managing their social media and blogs.
Professional highlight:
Learning the ins and outs of manufacturing recruitment.
Personal highlight:
Practising my Spanish in Barcelona and having a castle I can call my own.
Moment I’d rather forget:
Awkward bartering with beach vendors.
Lessons learned:
Conversational Italian is easier with a little help from sangria.
May
Despite all the wonderful highlights in May, this shall forever remain in my memory as the month of doom! May was filled with copywriting assignments and some great nights out, but it was also the month in which I damaged my left foot. I was running 18 miles and at the 11 mile point my foot gave out, so naturally I pressed on…big mistake. Seven medical professionals couldn’t diagnose the problem, but thankfully time was on my side.
Professional highlight:
Learning about (scary) digitisation technology through my copywriting.
Personal highlight:
Bruno Mars in Leeds – incredible as ever!
Moment I’d rather forget:
The foot. Curse you running shoes.
Lessons learned:
If something hurts while running, do NOT carry on.
June
I took on two more clients this month – an entertainment services provider and a digital marketing agency. Both were small projects but, again, they were great learning opportunities. Running sadly took a back seat as my foot was still incredibly painful. It was probably a blessing in disguise as it was a great excuse to sit down and watch all the political chaos. I also saw Dame Kelly Holmes in the Designer Outlet, so that’s pretty cool.
Professional highlight:
Discovering the different types of learner there are in the classroom. You can learn a lot from copywriting!
Personal highlight:
Probably just enjoying the sunshine…or the politics.
Moment I’d rather forget:
Trying to figure out self-assessment.
Lessons learned:
It’s good to take a break from social media sometimes.
July
When I cast my mind back to July, all I can think of is all the health professionals. Out of sheer desperation, I saw osteopaths, podiatrists, GPs, sports massage therapists and even a faith healer! Despite the healing crystals, I guess all I needed was time, as I just about managed a 5K fun run. Printed magazines were the flavour of the month, as I completed my fourth issue of Open Hand for Deafblind UK and also had an article for TS Grale published in print.
Professional highlight:
Seeing one of my articles in Aerospace Manufacturing magazine.
Personal highlight:
Booking a holiday to Florida!
Moment I’d rather forget:
Tying my running t-shirt around my derrière for the Colour Run after my Primark leggings split open mid-race.
Lessons learned:
Personable persistence is good for PR. Primark is poor.
August
August was a big month for projects. I was approached by a company in York to do a paid advertising audit, and also signed up to write 50 500-word articles! September’s holiday couldn’t come fast enough. On the running front, I managed to hobble my way through the York 10K, despite being discouraged by medical professionals. Thankfully, this turned out to be the road to recovery in time for October.
Professional highlight:
Being chosen for such a large copywriting project.
Personal highlight:
Catching up with school friends at my beautiful friend’s wedding.
Moment I’d rather forget:
Adjusting to insoles…even though I now love them like a child.
Lessons learned:
Sometimes, it’s all in the mind. The York 10K gave me the confidence I needed to start training again.
September
September was fabulous! Hen nights, roller coasters in Florida…what’s not to love? Living on a diet of ibuprofen, I managed to complete 20 miles in September, which was pretty important with the marathon looming. Unfortunately, said run took place about three hours before a night of my friend’s hen do celebrations, so suffice to say this took its toll. While I did spend some time on the aforementioned copywriting project, September was more play than work as I ran around the theme parks in Orlando. Nothing like a bit of carb loading the week before a marathon!
Professional highlight:
Meeting a new client, though I didn’t officially begin writing for them until October.
Personal highlight:
Too many to mention – 20 miles, hen nights, breakfast at Denny’s…
Moment I’d rather forget:
Attempting to run 10 miles on a treadmill in Florida with a belly full of pancakes.
Lessons learned:
Intense physical exertion exacerbates the negative effects of alcohol.
October
Well, obviously we know what this month is all about, don’t we? After 10 months of training, the day finally came. I’m not sure if it was the jetlag or the fear that made me cry at the start line, but I bawled my eyes out. I came out the other side though! It was hot; it was painful; it was emotional…but it was worth it. I was so ecstatic that I decided to get a tattoo three weeks later – right on the swine of a left foot that had plagued me for so long. Take that. I hasten to add there were professional highlights this month too – I acquired a new client, Odyssey Digital, for whom I now write blogs about recruitment. More learning!
Professional highlight:
Getting back on board with Moritz to write wedding blogs/acquiring a new client.
Personal highlight:
Need I even mention?
Moment I’d rather forget:
Inexplicably pulling a muscle in my back at mile 12. The foot didn’t even play up!
Lessons learned:
Electrolyte tablets are probably far more pleasant, and dignified, than having to lick salt off your own face to stave off cramp.
November
November was a month of ups and downs. On the upside, I reaped the benefits of Borrowmydoggy.com. As it turns out, dogs are the key to happiness. The key to sadness, on the other hand, is an £800 bill to fix a car that’s probably worth £300. C’est la vie. Professionally speaking, things ticked along nicely with the wedding blogs and some new pieces for Odyssey Digital. The BIG moment in November, however, would come from Deafblind UK. As this took place on November 30 though, I’m saving it for December.
Professional highlight:
Networking in York at Suits and Vinyl – I got to listen to Bonnie Tyler on vinyl!
Personal highlight:
Being a foster mum to a cockapoo.
Moment I’d rather forget:
Handing over my debit card to the mechanic. Grrr.
Lessons learned:
If your car is making a strange noise, do not drive it 100 miles.
December
So now for the news from Deafblind UK…it’s a big one. I mentioned to them in passing that I’d run the Yorkshire Marathon and they told me that they still had charity places for the London Marathon. They also said the competition was fierce and that, if I were to sign up, my chances of getting in would be very slim. So I signed up, thinking nothing would come of it…you can guess what happened next. Cue a huge moment of panic – I now had four months to raise £1,500, plus I’d also be doing something I vowed never to do again! However, as it’s for an amazing cause, I’ve been running around making a fool of myself in public in order to raise money. The theory is, if enough people pay me to make myself look stupid, they get a laugh and I raise money for Deafblind UK. I’m pleased to say it’s paying off and I’m already at 75 per cent of my fundraising target! Of course, you can always make that total higher by visiting my JustGiving page. December was a little quieter for writing projects, though I was tasked with another paid advertising audit. With all this fundraising though, it’s nice to have a break and end the year on a high.
Professional highlight:
Being introduced to more of the wonderful team from Deafblind UK as part of my marathon campaign.
Personal highlight:
Achieving more than 80,000 views of one of my ‘dare’ videos on LinkedIn. Here is said video…
Moment I’d rather forget:
Missing out on a Christmas trip to Spain thanks to flight cancellations. Thank you snow!
Lessons learned:
People will pay obscene amounts of money to watch you look stupid.
All in all, 2017 really has been quite a wonderful year. I’ve grown up, developed my confidence and achieved things I never thought possible. None of this would have been possible without the incredible network of people I have around me, both personally and professionally. I hope your 2017 has been just as good and I wish you all the best for 2018!
1st January 2018