Don’t worry, I won’t be embarking on a career as a singer! I’ll carry on doing what I’m good at – storytelling – whether it’s creating social media or website content, getting businesses noticed in print and online in newspapers and magazines, or helping with a company’s overall image and messaging.

It’s also what I love doing. It’s great when you make a new connection, find out about them and their business, what drives them and what they want to achieve, and help get that across to clients and customers.

My second year in business began the way the first one ended – in lockdown, in the middle of a pandemic. It has certainly been a memorable second year but, overall, it’s definitely been an enjoyable one.

As my new business was brought down to earth with a bump by the pandemic, the first birthday last year was a mixed milestone.

I loved what I was doing, but no one knew what the future would hold. Work initially came to a standstill and people were understandably reluctant to spend money. It was a case of readjusting and seeing how you could help businesses get through the worst disruption in memory.

The celebrations were definitely muted. Fast forward 12 months and it’s time for balloons and cake. Any excuse for cake here.

The 2020/21 year has been an adventure with many highs and some big lows, but I’ve loved it. I love what I do and have met and worked with some fantastic people and businesses along the way.

Before the pandemic, I didn’t think anything of jumping in the car and interviewing someone or meeting potential clients over coffee and cake. Cake again! 

Face-to-face contact is a huge part of what I do, building trust with clients and people I am interviewing. Despite the internet and social media, pre-March 2020, Zoom and video calls were largely limited to in-house communication. No one would imagine sitting in front of a camera for a job interview or to meet new clients.

The pandemic has changed so now it’s not just professionals that rely on cameras and technology – the public is also used to virtual meetings and gatherings and no one is expecting a Spielberg-quality production every time.

I still prefer meeting people in person, but Covid restrictions and technology have really broadened the horizons and put me on the radar of people who wouldn’t otherwise have been aware of what I do.

As it has for other people, this has opened up opportunities not just around the country, but also around the world, something I know wouldn’t have happened if we weren’t all confined to our homes for months at a time.

The use of technology also means that I am able to do things I could previously only have done in an office, such as editing newspaper pages.

It also means I can be more flexible and far more productive with my time and am enjoying working with a real mix of clients, providing writing, editing and PR.

One of the most-rewarding things about what I do is getting feedback from clients who are pleased with the end result, especially when they see articles and interviews in print.

As I look forward to the year ahead, it is with a sense of optimism that we are over the worst the pandemic has to throw at us.

Thanks again for all the support. 

Now, where’s that cake . . . ?