Hello there Reader!
I have to be honest, I ALMOST didn't hit send on this email (Yikes! ๐ฌ). I have been heads-down recording all the new CanvaOS 3.0 videos, and lets just say I hyper-fixated and lost track of days LOL ๐. But I'm very glad I didn't forget in the end - cos this is an important email.
I'm not one to brag or announce my successes very much (we'll leave the reasons for that to my therapist shall we? ๐), but as it's that time of the year when everyone is reflecting, I wanted to share some stats with you.
This year, I reached the following milestones:
It's taken me almost 3 years, and you know, it's actually pretty amazing to think that I have managed to achieve that. And I am very proud. Plus - and lets be honest, this is what actually makes life easier - in this, it's second full year, my business made a profit! ๐
But I don't share that just for a pat on the back, I share it so that I can also share with you what DIDN'T go well this year. Because we see a LOT of stuff online about how wonderful everyone is doing - and I think sometimes (maaaaybe? ๐ค) thats just the highlights reel (sometimes literally! ๐). So here goes:
- I fell off the 'content creation' bandwagon for a good few months. I had reasons, but it knocked my confidence and made the rest of the year a little more stressful...because when you rely on content to drive business, NOT creating suddenly carries some real consequences.
- I really struggled with comparison - and that didn't help anything!
- I took WAY longer than I promised to re-record CanvaOS. I got frustrated, started over-thinking and freaked myself out.
- I didn't re-launch my template store with new templates. Not even close.
- I didn't live up to my 'word of year' - which was supposed to be 'Imperfect Action'. I stalled. Perfectly. ๐คช
Here's the thing - despite all that, I DID still hit those (pretty damn great) milestones. I'm not suddenly hitting some magic '6-figure' dream that everyone keeps trying to sell me...but I still worked hard, I created good things, and I even managed to not burnout completely. ๐
But for me, that's not actually what indicates that this year has been a success.
So what DOES matter?
FYI - This is the reason this email was so important to send (in case you were wondering when I was going to get to the point) ๐:
What made this year an INCREDIBLE success for me? The comments and feedback I received from you. I know it sounds silly, but let me tell you that I never expected to feel as much joy and pride as when I get a message from someone I've never even met telling me that they love my newsletter, or that my course helped them design things they never thought they could, or just that they appreciate my YouTube videos. I think these days we forget (ok, I forget ๐คจ) how much genuine human connection and appreciation actually matters.
When I wasn't publishing content weekly, people noticed! I did not expect that. ๐ณ In a VAST see of YouTube videos and social content, people actually noticed. And that has made this year a WIN for me.
The thing is, I genuinely believe that the reason I have built a connection with so many wonderful people through my work, is because that's what I intentionally try to do with everything I create. I want to make a positive impact on you as a human being. Even if it is just through a 10minute Canva tutorial, or yet ANOTHER email about Japanese crafts ๐คฃ.
Anyway, I guess this is just to say two things:
Firstly...Decide on what success looks like for you, and keep that in mind, when the world tries to dictate what you should or shouldn't be aiming for. YOU get to choose what matters to you - even when it comes to work.
And b)...honestly, just....THANK YOU. Thank you for being here, for buying my course, and for just being wonderful human beings that also want to make a connection that matters. When I say I appreciate you - I really, genuinely mean it. ๐ค
Now, you get to have your say
As I am beavering away building CanvaOS 3.0 and planning for next year, I would really love to hear from you. I would appreciate it if you would take just a few minutes to complete the questions below, so that I can make sure that next year I can deliver even more content and products that will make your life & business easier and more successful.
This is my last email newsletter of the year, so I wish you and your families (especially chosen families) an incredible festive season. This has been a year that has tested and restored my faith in humanity in equal measures. But as the solstice passes I hope it brings joy, peace, success and kindness to us all...and grants everyone the 2026 that they deserve! (iykyk!) ๐
Have a fabulous couple of weeks, stay awesome, and I'll see you next year! ๐ค
โ
โ
โ