It's been 14 years since I founded #Strella Social Media, and it's incredible to think that the business I started as a side project in June 2010 has grown into what it is today. I never get too comfortable, as things can change quickly. However, I'm determined to keep going, especially knowing that less than a quarter of businesses make it to 15 years or more.
Reaching this milestone feels almost surreal. The past few years have been incredibly challenging and busy for me personally. Last March, my father-in-law's unexpected passing placed a significant responsibility on my husband and our family to care for his mother, which is nearly a full-time job on its own. Additionally, I have co-guardianship over my mentally ill mother, my father faced hospitalization last summer, and I've been dealing with my own health issues over the past year (more on that in a forthcoming blog post).
All of these challenges have made it difficult to concentrate on the business. To cope, I've had to block out many distractions. I wrote about surviving chaos last June, but the question remains: How do you not just survive, but thrive in chaos?
That's where extreme focus becomes essential. No matter what is happening in our lives, we all have a job to do, and owning a business is no exception. I'm fortunate to have a strong team supporting me, but there's also a clear vision and an understanding that we can't achieve anything alone.
Continually evaluating and pivoting to stay current is critical for us. Recently, we rebranded, completely overhauling our look and our approach to better reflect our capabilities.
The social media team has been instrumental in this transformation. Laney, our Executive VP, has led the #Strella team in developing cutting-edge strategies that keep us innovative and ahead of the curve. She has also managed the team while I dealt with numerous personal challenges. I'm incredibly fortunate to have Laney on board, and bringing her leadership to our company is one of my proudest accomplishments over these 14 years.
As I look forward to the future, my key takeaways from the past include:
- Block out distractions.
- Surround yourself with great people.
- Continually reinvent yourself.
These best practices have guided us through disruptions and will continue to drive our growth and success.
