5 years of Up

Five years. Wow! Is that right?

In some ways it feels like forever and in others it feels like the blink of an eye.

Milestones are always a great time to stop and reflect, and I’ve been doing a lot of that over the past few weeks.

To start off, I want say a huge, heartfelt thank you to each and every one of you for sticking by me through this incredibly wonderful journey. It means so much to me and I couldn’t be more grateful.

I started Up when I was 25, which seems like forever ago now. I actually just re-read my very first blog post and loved realizing that while it feels like so much has changed, some things will always stay the same — my love for our province, for storytelling, for connecting, and of course, for people.

Over the past five years, I’ve tried to be present, learn from every lesson (good and bad) and celebrate the wins (big ones and little ones) — in life and work. And while I haven’t made the time to share those lessons through the blog (I’ll do better this year, I promise!) I at least kept a running note of lessons learned on my phone.

So, to celebrate this milestone — and to kick myself into blogging gear for 2020 — I thought I’d go through my list and share some of my favourites with you, and explain why they resonate with me the most:

A rising tide lifts all boats.
As a woman in business and as an entrepreneur, I’m a firm believer in lifting each other up (also a firm believer in up puns!) Whenever I’m asked about how I’ve continued to grow my business, I am constantly giving kudos to those around me. I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve never had to do any advertising because those around me so generously refer me to their people time and time again. The least I can do is continue to share the love around in return. This idea of sharing is a quality that I think is really unique to Nova Scotia — and something I’m super proud to be a part of.

Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.
Full disclosure: I read this one on a cat poster. Classic! But I really love it. As someone who can be a bit… shall we say, competitive?… I always aim to win. Sometimes it’s more of an internal expression, but sometimes it’s very loud and clear and unattractive. Honestly, it’s one of my least favourite personal traits. But! Over the past few years I’ve learned that you can actually learn a ton from losing every once and a while. (Wow, even the word “losing” makes me wince a bit… I really have to work on that!) Sometimes it can be in the form of a typo in a tweet (the worst!) and other times can be a missed project opportunity. Either way, over the past five years, I’ve really tried to value each opportunity as a way to learn and move forward. Even when it’s hard.

Support is only worth what it costs to give it.
This one rings true time and time again in my life. As someone who prides herself on being a supportive person, I’m highly aware that sometimes that means going the extra-EXTRA mile. It isn’t always easy. And that’s okay with me.

Pasta waits for no one.
This is just plain ol’ good advice. And something that I tend to whip out every so often as a funny metaphor for life.

Everyone has a story, but they don’t always use it to make magic.
This one always makes me think. Sometimes, I go in the good vs. evil direction, which can be so easy to do lately with the inundation of negative news stories running through our feeds. But sometimes it reminds me of all of the incredibly inspiring people I’ve met over the past five years. Many of whom have amazing, impactful stories to tell. Sometimes when I hear them, I think to myself “how in the world has this story never been told?” It makes me think of the value in good public relations and my love for storytelling. Because if I’m able to use my powers of PR to make magic for someone special, I sure as heck will.

Always take the long road home.
In a world where we’re constantly moving, constantly rushing, constantly thinking about the next thing, it can be overwhelming and sometimes I find myself needing to take a step back and breathe. As someone who spends a lot of time in the car commuting, one way I’m able to slow myself down is to take the long road home. It’s a practice I started in university and it’s something that’s led me to some of my favourite spots to stop and think.

And lastly… It’s not about length, but of depth.
This one reminds me of how precious life is and how important it is to feel deeply. If I’m being honest, this has never been an issue for me. I’ve always been someone who feels all the feels. At times in my life, I’ve really hated that about myself. But as I get older, I realize it’s one of my most important qualities. It allows me to be empathetic, kind, loyal and loving. So what if I cry during toilet paper commercials? At least I can.

So, there you have it — my first blog post in over two years. And I promise it won’t be my last! After all, we have so much exciting news to share with you about Up over the next few weeks, and I can’t wait to take you along for the ride.