My 2020 Business Year In Review (a Year Late)

It has taken me 14 months to finally take stock of what took place in my business. As with many owners, 2020 did not deliver the outcomes I was expecting.

The idea of re-living those disappointments felt so painful… that I decided to delay the Year In Review process until now.

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My 2018 Business Year In Review

Another year has come to a close.

It’s time to reflect on how 2018 went.

And that can feel… like getting your teeth drilled at the dentist’s office.

I’ll admit, as much as I believe in how great the Year In Review process is, that doesn’t make it entirely pleasant to actually experience. But the benefits make this sometimes painful process worthwhile.

You’re invited to read my analysis of what happened—good and bad—for my business in 2018.

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2017: My Business Year In Review

Conducting a “year in review” process is incredibly helpful.

But it can also be excruciating, because looking back at the good & bad of the past year forces us to confront uncomfortable realities. It serves as a window to evaluate goals, examine priorities, and identify where we’ll focus our energy in the coming year.

In this post, you will hear how my Year In Review has strengthened me as a business owner. I’ll share what happened for me professionally in 2017, what worked and what didn’t, and some lessons learned.

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31 “Year In Review” Examples to Inspire You

A Year In Review is an evaluation of what has occurred in the past year, what you’ve learned, where things went wrong, and how you will make changes for the coming year.

To learn how to create your own, read How to Do a Year In Review.

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This type of evaluation will stretch you. You may find information about your company that is embarrassing. And you might decide to keep it private—known only to you or your leadership team. Or you could share the results with staff or customers. There’s nothing wrong with editing the content to fit the audience (especially if you’re an introvert like me).

But if you’re willing to be totally transparent, sharing a Year In Review with the entire world is extremely effective.

Read more: 5 Reasons to Share a “Year In Review” of Your Business. Continue reading “31 “Year In Review” Examples to Inspire You”

5 Reasons to Share a “Year In Review” of Your Business

Facing the good and bad of the past year takes courage, especially in re-living painful experiences. But self-evaluating the highs and lows in your past year is just the first step.

Sharing your findings with the entire world takes it to a whole new level.

In this post, I’ll talk about the benefits and downsides of making your Year In Review public, and why we’re afraid to fail.

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A Letter to My Business Mentor: From Fear to Confidence

I recently had a great e-mail exchange with my long-time mentor, who is the CEO of an engineering company in the US Midwest.

He asked me how things are going.

Here was my response:

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Why #MeToo Inspired Me to Be Transparent and Share My Failures

The following is my perspective on owning a business, experiencing trauma, and bringing my failures to light.

I used to hate the idea of sharing details about my personal life or business publicly, mostly because it’s not fun to get rejected by strangers. As an entrepreneur, my business and personal decisions are intertwined; so negative feedback about my company can feel like a personal attack.

Sometimes, it seems like everyone else is succeeding while you’re the only one struggling. But the truth is, we all face challenges of some sort. Most of us just don’t like to talk about it. Because being transparent is scary.

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