2018: A Year in Review

We’ve all seen the Facebook and Instagram year in review feature. They serve as a simple reminder of what happened this year. Maybe you bought a house (me), maybe you had your first baby (definitely not me), and maybe you traveled more than you realized (I wish).

As an agency, I’d say this year was pretty memorable. We placed six sessions at NAA, two at AIM and we had the honor of moderating a session at NMHC Optech. We were able to feature our clients in countless media placements, wrote more blogs than we care to admit, distributed hundreds of press releases, created industry trend reports, eNewsletters, grew our website and signed some new clients that we are over the moon about.

I’d like to say that success in life, whether it’s at work or personal life, could be measured by accomplishments like these. Job success, kiddos, financial stability. But really, none of those things could be accomplished unless we succeed at something deeper. Really, success in all aspects of life stems from who we are at our core, how we treat people we don’t care for, how hard we work despite our failures and if we show kindness and compassion when dealing with hard truths.

Without these qualities, I’m confident that our agency would not have seen such tangible success in 2018.

As we transition into 2019, our agency will move forward full steam ahead. Each client gets a customized pitch calendar, content calendar and more. We work to strengthen our relationships with each member of the media. We do extensive research and challenge ourselves to learn trends outside of our industry, so we are always driving the conversation forward in multifamily. I don’t say this to promote our agency, even though in my humble opinion, we 100% earn the #humblebrag.

I mention these things because we work hard. And I’m the type of person that finds incredible pride in being able to sit back and look at the fruits of my labor. Not only do we work hard at the tangible wins for our clients, but we work hard at maintaining an exceptional level of integrity and authenticity.

If I could impart one piece of professional advice to anyone it’s this: Focus on how you treat people. Focus on customer service, responsiveness and innovation. Make sure that every time a coworker or client interacts with you, they feel better than before they started the conversation. Prioritize honesty, integrity, hard work and empathy. Give constructive feedback and don’t shy from a difficult conversation.

The hard skills of writing, editing and communication are important. But who we are at our core is the foundation of this agency and our ultimate success.