This year has been a wild ride. For starters, I’m getting this 2022 year in review post out in February of 2023, so that’s a bit telling in itself. From welcoming our fourth and final baby into this world to diving full force into entrepreneurship, the year has been a juggling act that wasn’t always graceful. But, honestly, the chaos that was the year 2022, I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
First and foremost, I want to emphasize a really big thank you to my clients. Trusting me with your estate planning, business setup, and other probate needs, is a huge honor and I am forever grateful for each and every one of you. And secondly, to all my dedicated supporters – those who recommend my business regularly, and cheer me on both in real life and on social media – you keep me going, and I appreciate you!
As I reflect back on the year and what it’s meant to me, I want to cement all the memories and lessons it gave me right here.
Let’s start all the way back in January 2022. We welcomed little Mildred Josephine into our world. Birthing our fourth (and final) baby was probably the easiest one. However, in true youngest-child fashion, she had to go and make things difficult by being lactose intolerant. After weeks of the fussy, cranky, gassiness that an aversion to dairy can lead to for an infant, it finally clicked for me. Since we were breastfeeding, that meant I had to go dairy-free for her. So, that was a fun little unexpected adventure for our last child. Otherwise, she has been happy as a clam. It’s been one of the joys of my year watching her grow and admire her older brothers, and how each of them loves her hard in their own special ways. I hope that their sibling bonds only grow through the years.
After a couple of months of maternity leave, I was ready to give my business the attention it needed and deserved. I found a rockstar marketing partner and together we created the brand identity for my business, and it began to flourish from there. We launched my website and social media channels in June and I’ve received incredible feedback on both.
Later in the year, I went way out of my comfort zone and booked a commercial slot with Woof Boom Radio to support some of the area high school sports teams during their broadcasted games. I also had the opportunity to be interviewed by Sam Shriver of the Delphos Herald, who wrote a really nice article sharing my story of how I began my law firm in Delphos.
Putting myself out there this past year has been intimidating, but also very rewarding. I am so surprised by the interest and welcome I’ve received as a new attorney in the area. It’s hard to describe the full range of emotions that come with having your own small business, but I will say that I am overwhelmed with joy and anticipation for the future of my career.
The simultaneous growth of my family and my business is no easy feat. The work-life balance is extra wobbly with a lot of gray areas. I don’t believe there will ever be perfect harmony between the two, but 2022 has given me many lessons hard learned. One of the most impactful is learning to establish and stick to my boundaries, especially in my business. For the sake of my sanity and the quality of my work and relationships, I have to be okay with saying “no” a little more often. It may be a little cliche, but time is money, and we should use it wisely.
The time spent with my family is extra special to me. Especially as my kids are in the precious rapidly-changing early stages of their lives. That’s more and more of a reality to me these days as our baby is crawling and our oldest is taller. It’s important to me that I spend time with each of them and create fun childhood memories together. I never want to live the stereotypical lawyer life that’s all work and no play. It all factors into that balance I strive for each day.
Here are some of my cherished memories with family and friends from the past year:
- Road trip vacation to Florida and North Carolina!
- Random stops at the park on our way home from dinner
- Watching my oldest kids ride rides at the fair
- Watching all of my kids grow with each other and the dynamics between all of them
- Watching the boys fall in love with Santa and the Christmas season
- Date nights with my husband
- An unexpected tradition of taco Tuesdays at The Rustic Cafe with Angela and Jordan
- Delphos Run club with the family and kids
One thing that I changed this year that really improved my life is going on the Optavia program to lose weight and feel healthy again. I knew after we were done trying to have children that I really wanted to focus on my body. There is no “bouncing back” after pregnancy, and honestly, there’s no going back at all. My body has brought some pretty amazing little humans into the world whom I love dearly, and I wouldn’t trade any changes I’ve endured as a result. However, I was ready to put in the work to get to a weight that felt healthy and an energy that felt like I was thriving. The Optavia program gave me an easy-to-follow plan that I stuck to as best I could, and I’ll tell you that reaching those goals I set for myself felt incredible.
Onward to 2023
As I look ahead to the next year, I hope that I take these lessons and memories and continue to build and grow. I want to be more intentional with my “yes” this year. I have to weigh the pros and cons of a new commitment with the time it may take away from being with my family. Sometimes “no” is a tough word. Also, I’m hoping to start a “Fun Fridays” family tradition this year where we have time set aside to enjoy adventures together. And there are a few personal projects on my radar that get me so excited, like a new podcast with my sister, Coffee with Counsel at the coffee house, and some new videos for my social media channels!
I’m looking forward to the future and all that it holds. Cheers to 2023!