A new post from Deidre Rienzo....
First, the crummy news...
My revenue this year was its lowest since 2014. I’m down $7180 from last year, which was down $2779 from 2016! Yikes.
Now, the good news…
I’m self-employed! I made enough money to pay my bills, working only with people I enjoy—and I didn’t have to go to a corporate office once! So while 2018 wasn’t what I hoped, it’s still a victory in my book.
As I’ve done in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017, here is my 2018 by the numbers:
- Years in business – 12
- Total clients – 25 (that’s 8 less than last year)
- Clients who are designers – 15
- Times I’ve eaten oatmeal – at least 300
- Times I’ve worn 90% of the clothes in my closet – 0 (I’m due for a Marie Kondo-inspired tidy fest)
- Gym visits – 90 (amazing because I was a reluctant gym-goer at first)
- Client websites written – 14 (a few landed here)
- Client blogs + newsletters written – 100+
- Clients for whom I write monthly or bi-monthly blog posts, newsletters or case studies – 9
- Times I’ve watched the sunset – at least 52
- Time spent out of my comfort zone – way more than usual!
- Clients who came from referrals – 5
- Contacts who turned into clients after being on my newsletter list for years – 2
- Free consultations that converted – 16/19
- Times I’ve walked my dog – at least 700? (Cannoli, thank you for making me breathe fresh air!)
- Un-newsletter subscribers (sign up here) – 632 (that’s up 91 from last year!)
- Un-newsletters sent (read them here) – 7 (that’s 2 more than last year!)
- Times I gave up coffee (and started again) – at least 4
- Times I ate burrito bowls from Wawa – way too many!
- Total prospects I reached out to – 10 (I can do much better!)
What’s the plan for 2019? To have my best year yet—financially, physically and emotionally. I plan:
- To reach out to 10 prospects per month
- To send monthly un-newsletters
- To blog here once a month
- To keep working towards being able to do a pull-up!
- To treat my body well—by moving it regularly and putting good things into it.
- To embrace and appreciate my sensitivity and nuttiness, because it makes me who I am.
- To continue to refine my own definition of working smarter, and not beat myself up about it!
- To find ways to fill myself with joy, gratitude, energy and creativity: rest, meditation, cooking, spending time with friends, being silly, having more dance parties, and watching the sunset with Cannoli.
- To choose love, not fear.
- To keep forging outside of my comfort zone, even though it’s hard.
What do you think? Are you ready to kick some 2019-booty? Let’s do it!
*Image: Cannoli ensuring I get some fresh air and Vitamin D.
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Hi, I’m Deidre. In my posts, I talk about my voyage down the road of self-employment as a web copywriter, my achievements and roadblocks along the way, and what I’m learning as I go (with Marketing Mentor as my guide). To keep in touch, sign up for my un-newsletter here and get my freebie download, 12 Sparks to Write Sizzling, Audience-Attracting Website Words.