A Cabin in the Woods
The entrance of a new year always brings new goals. 2017 is no different in that regard. However, this marks what is really only my second "real" year in business and there are so many scary and oh-so-exciting things about that. Creating a plan to map out the coming year seemed completely necessary to ensuring a successful year ahead, so Christopher of Made Wild and I decided to head to the woods for a mini work retreat. When I say we decided- Christopher (one of my dearest friends) booked the trip and surprised me with it after we had entertained the idea for about a month and knowing me far too well, he knew I wouldn't pull the trigger and leave my work-from-home comfort zone. Thank you, Christopher.
What better setting for three-ish days of a 2016 detox and planning than a secluded log cabin in Colorado?
This place boasts all the classic log cabin features: wooden everything, a view of the foggy mountains, a snow covered surrounding, and a wood burning stove (that, thanks to stubbornness and tenacity, two creatives who are HORRIBLE at starting intentional fires completely mastered, thank you very much). On top of all that sweet serenity, it snowed for the entire trip. Much like Lorelai Gilmore, we knew that could only mean good things.
Our time there consisted of laying the groundwork for our next year in our respective businesses- setting goals and creating tangible plans to successfully tackle those goals, talking new designs and collections, discussing necessary skill-building and resources for doing just that, as well as critiquing our websites (you'll be seeing some changes around here this year). Holding ourselves accountable and avoiding any empty promises were recurring topics. We discussed how we could better utilize our social media accounts (namely, Instagram- to me, everything else follows) and create more consistent brand identities. We bounced ideas off of each other, made notes of resources to look into/books/articles to read, and discussed the importance of ones health and peace of mind to running a successful business.
Left to right: Christopher and our work zone; Our mountain mascot: Hylia; Work zone.
One of my favorite things about being an entrepreneur in Denver, namely in the maker community, is the collaboration. The small business owner is not alone, there are always others with similar goals and struggles and this little trip was yet another reminder of that beautiful fact. Perhaps a trip with even more of us is in the future?
Currently listening to: Bon Iver, For Emma