Happy New Year!

Goodbye 2013...

 

 

 

HELLOOOOO 2014!

2013 has come and gone and I am sitting here with a blank blog post. Where did the year go? I feel every year goes by so fast, but this year really seemed to fly by. So many great things happened and so many terrible awful things happened. Every year is a learning curve for me and I continue to take the good and the bad and turn each high/lo into a lesson learned.

 

 

One of my goals for 2013 was to set monthly goals and things I wanted to achieve. Some were very trivial such as...drink more water. I am proud to say I consume half my body weight in water a day now! I can really tell a difference. I know some goals are a little more silly than others, but I am a big believer that if I put it down on paper I will make it happen. I think I will start to blog my monthly goals in hopes to have more accountability :)

 

In the year 2013 I had a ton of high points and just as many low points. It's so amusing to me that life can be so good but so bad at the same time. I have learned this year that it is okay to screw up and make mistakes. I learned that though every experience good or bad, there is a lesson to be learned. I am a stronger, wiser, better person (and wedding planner) for my experiences in 2013.

 

I had to pleasure of servicing 22 blushing brides in 2013. This year has challenged me in so many new ways. Just when I think I have a certain task mastered or skill life throws a curve ball. I designed an at home wedding from the ground up this year and learned SO MUCH from that (blog on that coming soon!) I learned a whole new level of patience that I didn't know I could master. I have changed the way I react to "crisis" situations in weddings and in return have become so much better for that. I set office hours and REALLY stuck to them and I found that it made my business so much better. I answer emails more frequently and have a clear head going in instead of replying half awake at 2am from my cell phone. It's the little things, guys!

 

Some of my 2013 goals were...

 

1. Blog more. This has always been a HUGE task for me. I have never been a huge fan of the way my "blog looked" but I am working on fixing that. Big changes in 2014, y'all! I have blogged WAY MORE than I ever have this year!

 

2. Be a better friend. Some of my life long friendships have faded because I realized it was a one way street. I have always tried to remember birthdays, always listen, and be there whenever. I realized some people did not have the same view and sadly have different priorities. Now that I have weeded out those people, I try everyday to let my closest friends and family know how important they are and

3. Set office hours. While working from home is a challenge in itself, it is more challenging to not jump when the email ding goes off or the phone rings past business hours. I always have and always will go above and beyond for my brides, but I am learning that the email can wait until 9 am. I have discovered the 'send later' button which allows me to respond but doesn't send the email until business hours. Making progress, y'all!

 

4. Stop worrying about everyone else. My oh my how this has changed my life. As soon as I stopped looking to see what "others" were doing, I started doing better myself. I learned a hard lesson this year- I don't have to do what everyone else is doing! This has changed my life and business in so many ways!

 

Amongst the above goals, I also had personal goals to save more money (ha!), clean my house more, love on my dogs more, and cook more. Exciting, right?!

 

Now...onto 2014!

 

1. New business name- make it happen! I have decided to change my business name to "Belle Soiree Events." I find info@bellesoireeweddings.com is a super long email and want to make things simple :). I have bought a new domain, new website/blog in the works, and a full total re brand coming your way!

 

2. Lose 20 pounds. I said it and I'll be damned I'm going to do it! Already started working hard on this a few weeks ago. 2014 is THE year I will lose 20 pounds. 

 

3. Work on creating the perfectly balanced team. I have ALWAYS been the type of boss where "my way is the best way." I am working HARD to change this and allow people to work with me and create the best event for my clients. Baby steps!

 

4. Better the client experience. I recently started to give personalized gifts upon booking a wedding with Belle Soiree and the thought has gone a long way! I want to better this for my brides and make the client experience a great one from start to finish!

 

As I say goodbye to 2013 I say hello to a better planner, a better friend, a sweeter daughter (I'm trying mom!) and a better dog mom! I am grateful for the challenges and look forward to creating new memories in 2014!

 

 XO,
Merideth

 

 

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