*This post includes updates and reflections about our personal lives, about the land/little forest and about our business lives over at our branding studio - Studio Vogl*
So yeah, 2020. We all know all the things that happened so I'm not going to go there. It was stressful, heartbreaking, dark. But there was also lots of light and we learned so much. We learned how resilient we actually are, how much we value our family and friends, how to be more self sufficient, what our true priorities are, and we learned so much from our kids. We also learned how much we need each other, and that we need to take care of each other. All of us.
Let's dive right in and recap 2020 from our perspective, and look ahead to 2021.
The Land
We have a big land update post in draft form. But our plans are changing so quickly we aren't ready to hit publish on that just yet. At the tail end of this winter, when these changes are more solidified, we'll drop it right here. All good things.
A mini update regarding the tent: we decided to leave it up for the winter - reinforcing the interior frame with wood planks and our wonderful bro in law trekking up to brush it off every now and then. Our next trip up is this month, so we'll check on how it's holding up then. Fingers crossed! Until the big update post, here are some pictures from the summer and fall (click the arrow on the right to move forward in the slidshow):
Business and Family
Pivot. And again. And again. Pivot. PIVOT!
"Pivot, verb: turn on or as if on a pivot. Spin."
We've been pivoting so much in our business and personal lives this year (along with our clients). I'm sure most people reading this can relate in some way. Distance learning, preschool cancellation, Andy going from working elsewhere every day to working from home every day, helping clients adapt to new mandates and orders and complete business model changes.
"Pivot, noun: the central point, pin, or shaft on which a mechanism turns or oscillates."
When we look at the noun definition of "pivot", it's easy to see that a strong core is important. It's that central point that you can adapt and adjust around, that supports the constant change and keeps everything right side up and where it needs to be. It's what is at the core of our business, of our family life that maintains the balance when everything is spinning. Having a strong and unmoving personal and business foundation / core helps us weather the change and unpredictability of the world spinning around us.
That core is never made up of products or activities or platforms or profits. It's made up of our values, our mission and how we draw from those in times of chaos or uncertainty.
This year over at Studio Vogl, we're doubling down our mission of helping world changing businesses grow and thrive. We're leaning harder into our values/guiding principles. 2019 was all about finding our place. In 2020 we found our footing in that place and settled in. 2021 will be about growing and amplifying in that space.
Business footnote: I created a small line of paint by number kits that sold out in a couple of months. It was so fun and I really want to replenish the shop, but we've realized that a bigger space is required to hold onto any type of inventory. So this project will be put on hold until we have ample room.
Looking Ahead
12/31/20 felt like the end of more than just a year. The end of a way of thinking and/or of doing things? The end of an era? I guess that would mean that 2021 is the beginning of something. With our priorities more clear now than ever, we are ready to move forward into the new.
“If we can change our priorities, achieve balance and understanding in our roles as human beings in a complex world, the coming era can well be that of a richer civilization, not its end. This is the challenge of our new frontier.”
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