Hi friends,
A slight detour today from the usual—I’m excited to share a recap of my past year, work-wise. Out of anything I’ve written recently, this took the most energy, rewrites, scribbles, and edits. As with anything in today’s mishmash of words of the web, I hope it means something.
Field Notes: 2020
This year was about staying afloat.
We all lost many things in 2020, some more than others, and I'm lucky enough to feel grateful in the midst of it all that I don't know what to think of it. Equal parts recap, reflection, and release, this post details my first year of freelancing during the first year of a global pandemic. For anyone considering the leap into independent consulting (contracting, freelancing, etc)—I hope it helps. Inspired by Tom Critchlow's indie-versary recaps.
I left my last 10-7 desk job on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, intending to freelance a bit as I recruited for the next job. Shortly after, Covid-19 tsunami'd our lives, breaking through our safe harbors. Each wave a new lesson: never mind the work, quick, preserve the life first!
My full-time conversations came to an indefinite hold, I plunged into the project-to-project flow, and incredulously, my haphazard collection of flotation devices buoyed me through the waves.
The sinking forces were also many: I'm the first in my family to be born in the states, with no corporate network from working at a brand name company, no reputation from staying in the same industry, no benefit of the doubt from looking or acting in ways society glorifies, and no cachet from an aspirational social media presence.
Yet I have giving and empowering mentors, talented and kind peers, sacrificial family and entrepreneurial blood, and divine luck. Plus the privilege of English and digital fluency to navigate government benefit systems. My parents left everything halfway through their life so I ostensibly wouldn't have to, but what can they say? Like father, like daughter.
The world needs more indie and more weird, pushing its boundaries and constructs. Here's the beginning of my tribute to that.
If you don’t have time to read the full report/reflection, a few highlights below:
The Operating Work
As natural, my projects reflected the (net)work of my last full time job in brand and product marketing. Breaking down my projects (by revenue) and how I'm planning for them to evolve:
In 2021, I'd like for my roles to evolve from bolt-on digital marketer towards something like a strategic partner in brand content and media systems. Visualizing how I see those elements in relationship below, as a sort of spidery-flowery web molecule:
Content: What are the important stories to tell? The nucleus.
Media: How might we communicate them? The tendrils.
Systems: How does it all work together? The whole.
How I envision future engagements might look:
Building editorial platforms for organizations to establish themselves as thoughtful media and content leaders. Orgs spanning design & innovation consultancies, food & hospitality, social equity-driven nonprofits, and new consumer product ventures.
Upgrading digital marketing systems for editorial publications, potentially including audience development and engagement
Helping independent journalists build niche news products for wild times
If something here strikes a chord and you'd like to talk about working together, you can reach me at vicky@studioqq.co. If you'd just like to talk, ping me at vickygu30@ gmail.com.
Onwards to 2021
I'd like to talk about 2020 without sounding trite or earnest or jaded or weary and I'm not sure I'm there yet, but at the least—my work this past year was highly stressful yet exhilarating, affirming yet frustrating.
I've also talked a lot about work, without mentioning rest. I know I'm going to burn out soon if I don't enforce a break for myself. Hopefully that'll happen sooner rather than later, but given that I have no dependents and no underlying health conditions—I can comparatively afford to be generous with my time, applying my margins of energy to support others whose reserves have gone negative.
Here's to another year, a little more positive.