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Moving on up: shining a light on your successes

As the year draws to a close, it’s natural to focus on what we haven’t yet managed to do. But why is it that we often forget to celebrate all we have achieved? Reflect on your progress and build on your achievements into 2022 with these great snippets of advice from the DBA Experts

Making connections

If you continued to put yourself out there this year, marketing your business, making connections, starting conversations, and broadening your network – please celebrate this. These new connections may not equate to bottom line revenue yet, but in that community are your future clients.

Lucy Mann, Director, Gunpowder Consulting 

Remember all you’ve achieved

As a passionate and curious observer of life, behaviour and truth, look back at all you’ve learned about your clients, colleagues and consumers. How can you connect the dots to create new inspiration and new revenue from everything you ALREADY know?

John Gleason, Founder & President, A Better View 

Raising the bar

After another tough year it’s more important than ever to recognise and celebrate even the smallest of successes. Build on this throughout 2022 by making sure you “celebrate what you’ve accomplished but raise the bar a little each time you succeed.” (Mia Hamm, American soccer player)

Catherine Allison, Director, Master the Art

Back to the future

Have a think about three pandemic-related things which have improved your business. Perhaps it’s the ability to work remotely, time to reflect and reset, or better use of technology? You’ve come far; now how will you build on these in the future?

Adrian Day, Managing Consultant, Adrian Day Advisers Ltd

Not forgetting…

Congratulations on winning new business. But remember that retaining and developing clients is equally worthy of celebration, because it can actually be a more potent driver of agency growth. In 2022, cherish and nurture your clients as never before.

Jonathan Kirk, Director, Up to the Light

The fundamentals

What do you know now about your business that you didn’t know two years ago? The last few years have been about fundamentals; cash, costs, revenue. Look back on the challenges you’ve faced and use the lessons learnt to move forward.

Chris Lang, Founding Partner, Flash Partners

Growing gravitas

You’ve aced remote presenting on several platforms. You’ve improved your onscreen presence while still saying ‘hi’ to various kids, cats, dogs and hamsters. Now why not lose those ‘um’s and ‘er’s? They’ll seriously undermine your authority. Then increase your fees.

Shan Preddy, Partner, PREDDY&CO

On the right path

In 2021, strides have been taken on racial and gender equity, LGBTQ+ education, and recognising the absence of people with disabilities. You’re keeping step if you’ve realised inclusivity is a skill, which your agency needs to onboard. How will you march ahead in 2022?

Guy Duncan, Founding Director, Brand Equality

Celebrate where you are

As you reflect on this year, make sure you’re looking at what matters. What gets measured, gets done, but don’t weigh yourself down. Measure the numbers that matter and celebrate where you are, before you make your next move.

Jonathan Gaunt, Managing Director, FD Works

The gift of presence

Reflect on and celebrate all the moments of genuine, curious, brilliant listening. Consciously bring more of this trust building connection into your New Year, knowing that your centred presence can magically contribute to the growth of your team and business. 

Emma Collins, Executive Leadership & Team Coach, Collins&Co

Good to talk

Zoom and email fatigue is real and in this ‘people buying people’ world, remember your phone calls to prospects can be a welcome relief. Keep picking up the phone, using the opportunity to unearth client challenges and to discuss how you can help solve them.

Andre Yong, Managing Director, Angsana 

Celebrate all you have learnt from feedback

Embracing constructive input and spending time engaging with your clients and asking them what they think about your service offering and positioning, will help you evolve your messaging to new prospective clients. Learn from feedback, don’t shy away from it.

Natasha Ellard-Shoefield, Managing Director, The Hand Consulting 

Enhancing your approach

PR and digital marketing have changed at pace in recent years. How has this enhanced your approach? Pause and reflect on the ways you’ve consolidated learnings, case studies and service offerings to allow more agility. How will you take that forward?

Katherine Sandford-Anderson, Founder & Creative Director, Sandford PR | Sandford Digital 

Changing perspectives

Recent times have shown us that (almost) anything is possible despite perceived limitations. You are still here, but maybe your perspective/priority has changed. What did you learn that you are yet to put into place? Make a start on that.

Jack O’Hern, Director, Wright Vigar

Better ways of working

The past two years have compelled reflection on business strategy, structure and how we work together. Evolve the positive changes that you have made. Ethical standards lead to better outcomes, and these lead to greater opportunities. Embrace the zeitgeist!

Martin Varley, Partner, Humphries Kirk LLP

Taking control

2021 was another year where factors outside of our control had a huge impact on our lives. Celebrate how you navigated the challenges and look for areas you CAN take control of and action in 2022; Financial Planning being a great starting point.

Gary Morris, Principal, Morris Powell

Happy people

Get your team to submit their 2021 work highlights and host an end of year online wrap up celebration. It can be a fun way to reflect and recognise the work you’ve done, boosting everyone’s confidence for 2022.  

Aliya Vigor-Robertson, Founding Partner, JourneyHR

Time well spent – a lesson learned for better leadership

The pandemic has created problems, but it’s also created space and time. If you’ve found a better balance with a life not totally dictated by work, you are likely now more efficient, productive and interestingly, probably a better person to be inspired by.

Jeremy Paterson, Managing Director, IF Media Consultancy 

A final thought

Time is a gift, and if your past eighteen months have looked even remotely like mine, remember to be thankful. Never before – and hopefully ever again – will we to the same extent, be gifted.

Steinar Valade-Amland, Three Point Zero

About the DBA Experts

 

DBA Experts are here to help you navigate the challenges and decisions you face as you grow your business. Our register of accredited expert consultants have sustained and relevant experience in supporting the design industry, so you can rest assured that you will be getting sound, high-level support.

 

Find out more and explore the DBA Experts Register >

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