A Huge Thank You for 2018

As another year draws to a close, many of us are looking back with our 2018 “round-ups”. I decided to forgo the “traditional” highlight reel this year. Instead, I want to say thank you to everybody who has been involved. 2018 has been my most successful year to date, and would not have been possible without you.

To those who pushed me

Katie Lingo has doubled in size for the second year running. This is not only thanks to my loyal clients old and new, but to those who pushed me.

My friend and former colleague Ben convinced me to move over to a WordPress platform, and it’s worked wonders. The brand looks 100 per cent more professional than it did last year, with a significantly enhanced social media presence. I spent the “quiet months” from January to March building my website, and I’m so grateful to those who helped me build it, including my designer chum, Dave!

In July, I quit the 9-5 to grow Katie Lingo even more. I absolutely loved working at Agency51, but it was time to see where this could go. I could not have done that without my partner, Craig, and the support of fantastic friends. Thank you!

To my marathon muckers

Between January and April, I can unashamedly say I managed to shoehorn the word “marathon” into every sentence. 2018 gave me one of the biggest opportunities of my life: running the London Marathon.

Of course, none of this could have happened without the team at Deafblind UK, for whom I was fundraising. Equally, the campaign would not have been so successful were it not for York’s local businesses, who donated raffle prizes, and the local press. I had three radio interviews, one television interview and two newspaper articles in total. We exceeded £1,700 to help those with dual sensory loss, so thank you to everybody involved.

I also had a great chat with Vassos Alexander at an expo back in February, so a big thanks to him, and my sports massage therapist, Laura!

To new clients and digital friends!

Not many professions can say they’ve never met their clients. This is the case for a huge percentage of my client base! Thanks to apps like LinkedIn and Shapr, I’ve been able to branch out in so many ways.

Going international…and local

This year I’ve expanded my horizons and have worked with clients in Israel, Mexico, Japan and the US. I’d like to say a big thank you to these people, particularly for putting up with the time differences!

I also started working with two new agencies in Sheffield this year. I did actually have the pleasure of meeting the teams at both these agencies, and I look forward to working with them again in 2019. A huge thank you goes out to them both, not just for taking me on, but for being flexible with my remote working.

Strings to the bow

2018 has seen plenty of new opportunities for Katie Lingo, including PR work with a luxury home interior brand, and even teaching. I began working with SONA in October, which has seen me speaking with some very exciting publications, while HUB Inspired introduced me to teaching. I’ve taught a couple of sessions on SEO and Google Analytics, and look forward to more in 2019. Keep your eyes peeled for some instructional videos soon too…

From car reviews to pet care, recruitment and much more, this year’s new clients have taught me so much. I cannot thank them enough!

To my heroes

This isn’t strictly business-related, but there has to be an honourable mention for some of the amazing experiences I’ve had this year. They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but in June and July I met two – in my humble opinion, musical and comic geniuses. Meat Loaf, Adrian Edmondson…if you’re reading this, thank you for making me feel so comfortable when I was internally squealing. I suppose the England team should get a thank you too.

To the staff at York Hospital

On a slightly darker note, there have been a couple of hospital visits this year. Thankfully, they weren’t serious, but they did catalyse my decision to “go it alone”. A week after the London Marathon, I spent the night in A&E while the team carried out numerous tests, including a CT scan and a lumbar puncture. I was advised to go in after being woken up with the most throbbing headache I’ve ever experienced, and I feel a little silly now.

Diagnosis? Migraine. Cause? Unsurprisingly, sitting in front of a laptop for 10 hours a day. Regardless, the staff left no stone unturned to make sure it wasn’t something more serious. I can’t begin to say how thankful I am for their help, and the NHS in general.

2018 has been a fantastic year for raising awareness of self-care. I’m sure we’ve all been victims of computer use from time to time, so let’s hope we’re all a little kinder to ourselves next year.

To the animals

Again, slightly off-topic, but I genuinely feel that animals have helped me grow my brand this year! In March I signed up to Borrow My Doggy. I’d never grown up with pets, so it was wonderful to experience the endless joy that animals can bring.

In September, we went the whole hog and adopted from York Cats Protection. I cannot thank this wonderful organisation enough. I’m not ashamed to say I’ve never felt a love quite like this – this little guy makes me laugh and smile every day, and I feel so much less anxious. He’s probably the reason I tried veganism as well – I can’t look at any animals now without thinking about my cat! Not sorry.

To the ones I love

Obviously, this extends to the paragraph above, but Katie Lingo would not be what it is without the love and support of those around me. It’s been a fantastic year for family, from Billy Joel concerts to trips with my in-laws, and they’ve all been behind the brand 100 per cent. Thank you to everybody who came to visit and stood by me when I swapped social events for work.

A special mention to my partner in crime, my travel companion, my accountant, and the true brains behind the operation. He knows who he is. I love you from the bottom of my heart.

And finally…

To those who took a chance

To the clients who have been with me from the start, right through to everybody who’s put up with my relentless pitching: thank you so much for taking a chance on a one-woman-band whose passion knows no bounds. Whether you took me on as a supplier or just contributed to an article, you have helped enormously. 2018 was a very scary year, but it really did prove that you reap what you sow.

2019 will not be without its challenges, but I’ve got some big plans and hope you’re all there with me next year.

Sincerely, I hope you all have a fantastic 2019.