December Update

It’s Christmas Eve and I’ve been at my computer since 7:30 this morning — listening to Meatloaf’s discography (questionable vibes) and sipping black coffee (the wrong choice for my colon). 2024 couldn’t have had a bumpier start — laying on my couch with stitches on my abdomen. Leading up to Thanksgiving 2023, I was feeling really sick. I had a cold I just couldn’t shake and it got to the point that I had to skip the Peaksview Holiday Market. I was devastated because I was not only sharing my Verderamade designs at the event but, I was sponsoring it as my agency, The Shop Shop. I was supposed to be walking the floor meeting new makers, artists and small businesses — getting my team out there for any marketing work. Instead, I was curled up on my bathroom floor.

By Sunday, I went to med express, then the ER — where I was astounded as I was rushed through triage into an xray, then MRI. There was a nurse prepping me for surgery at the same time that a doctor came to explain I was going into exploratory surgery right then. I said goodbye then woke up the next day with a tube coming out of my nose, a catheter, and a hose coming out of my abdomen. My appendix had ruptured. All the tubes were pulling dark, scary fluids out of my body. But, I knew I needed to get up and walk asap to get my bowels moving again.

I was out of the hospital by Friday and back to my in-person client meetings the next week. I wore loose dresses and walked slowly. To say I was in pain was an understatement. And like most recoveries, I actually got much worse before I got better. At one point, two different surgeons explained that they would probably have to take out part or all of my colon if it didn’t stop rupturing.

So, I stopped eating anything but clear liquids for a month — hoping that it would heal so I could get a colonoscopy. I did. No cancer and I healed very well. I have an unusual diet and I had to give up caffeine. I feel blessed — even as I’ve pushed to get back my health and strength.

By the end of February, I felt like I was fully out of the fog. One of the biggest reasons I was able to keep things going during those two hard months were my understanding clients and my expert team. My clients were more than reasonable about rescheduling in-person meetings to video ones when I just couldn’t get off the couch. They treated me like a human being and gave me a chance to prove that I could still do work worthy of keeping their accounts.

At the same time, my team had my back. I asked them to be super careful — double checking my work, proofreading everything I worked on, and questioning everything. They were the best backup to ensure no hiccups or dip in quality during my recovery. As a whole, no one really realized how much I was struggling to get back on my feet for the first quarter.

The coolest thing about my recovery was that once I was better — I was just better. I mean this in more than one way. I went into my colonoscopy feeling pretty confident that I was going to be OK. I just felt next-door to normal again. Not 100% but, I knew I was going to be fine if I kept recovering at the same rate.

I also felt better like I was truly a better person for going through that experience. It strengthened many friendships and family connections. It made me realize some ways I could be a better person, mother, and even business owner. Medical crisis is not my preferred method of realignment. However, it’s an effective (if not very original) means of laying back and taking stock of everything.

I knew from the moment I moved back to full-time hours that this year was going to be special and different. It just had to be. On one hand, that was through my own planning. I was paying for advertising for the first time and really asking all my clients for referrals. Thankfully, that did result in signing new clients.

But, I was acutely aware of my own limitations. I didn’t want any form of “business growth” to compromise the quality of our client experience or project output. So, I pumped the brakes on looking for new clients. We signed several right at the start of Q2. And more trickled in for the rest of the  year. But, we brought each one on thoughtfully and carefully — turning some away or delaying them if they weren’t the best fit for us.

Instead the goals for the year became more internal. I turned one of my subcontractors into an employee (and I’m trying to do the same for another in 2025). I kept training my team to expand their skill set. I upgraded software and tools. I made our reports look nicer and enhanced our website. I also started social media channels just for The Shop Shop. They’re baby accounts with small followings. But, they’re giving my team a chance to try new ideas and do fun things.

When I wrote the official holiday business posts — I wanted to focus on our clients and all the ways we appreciate their support in 2024. I really believe we did our best by them and that’s what I want to do in 2025 as well.

Holiday posts are tricky — that annual moment to say big things about the past year and dream about the next. Or is it? Sure, we’ve hit goals as a team. But, that’s not nearly as important as the milestones our clients reached. Their metrics and the success of their projects is what matters most.

In 2024, we didn’t focus on growth in the form of signing new clients. Instead, we decided to do everything we could to offer more value to each of our clients. Most of the changes have been subtle. We invested in higher-value design programs, expanded our SEO software, and upgraded our reports (without raising our prices). We gave our team members more training and stayed current with industry knowledge.

Looking at 2025, the goals are much the same. We’re going to continue honing our services— to deliver better results campaign by campaign.

We truly believe the best clients find us through our past and current clients because we’ve created an unparalleled client experience. That means regular meetings, weekly email updates, and monthly reports — and always knowing what we’re doing for them. Thanks to everyone who left a review and referred our services in 2024.

We’re trying to build something that will last — and we’re grateful that you’re part of it. Here’s to all that we’ll do together in 2025!

Thanks for everything!

Danielle & Team

(Jess, Rachel L., Rachel K., Lynn, and Merriel)