A Step Back

I’m certain most folks would agree that 2020 was a wild ride. From advocating for police reform and the BLM protests to murder hornets and an election, it was crazy! Oh, yeah, and that little thing called COVID.

In our personal and professional lives, Dellanee and I have learned so many valuable lessons. The pandemic made one thing crystal clear for us: people are the most important asset this world offers. And “people” includes ourselves.

While spending time in quarantine and reading the horrific news stories of a virus raging war on the bodies of our families and friends, it became clear to both of us that time spent with those who mean the most to us needed to be primary. It also became apparent that building a marketing empire takes time, thought, poise and mental health.

Being strong, smart, hard-working women with aspirations often means that we overdo it. We put others before ourselves. We prioritize everyone else’s needs above our own, often to our own physical and mental detriment.

This year, we have both decided to make a concerted effort to shift priorities. We want to be selective when taking on projects. Last year, we only said no to one potential client. We took on everyone who came our way in an effort to get our name out there and build a following. Do we regret any of that? No, of course not. We have valued each and every client and project that has gotten us this far.

But what many may not realize or understand, Dellanee and I both have three jobs. She has a day job with SUSLA as their graphic services coordinator and is an adjunct instructor for the University of Arkansas at Monticello. I work as the Director of Development at Catholic Charities of North Louisiana and do online news posting for a local publication every week day. We’ve both been fortunate to be able to have fun with Maltshop as our creative outlet, while providing for our households in multiple ways.

2021 will be different, though. We both ran ourselves ragged last year in an effort to climb all the ladders. We both pledge to scrutinize requests we receive from potential clients to really see if they are a good fit for our business rather than trying to fit a square peg in a tiny round hole. We also hope to decrease our commitments to others in an effort to focus on life, love and happiness for ourselves. The pandemic really hammered home the idea of prioritizing life over work.

Obviously we both still possess a drive and desire to achieve great things. But this year, we intend to analyze every possibility to ensure its alignment with our personal goals and dreams. We assert that our own mental health should take a front seat, not bumble around in the backseat while we drive recklessly to the cliff’s edge.