five years of lyc

I posted my first Instagram post on my new business account @loveyourcompany_ on February 1, 2021 and here we are, five years later.

There's a special place in my heart for everyone who got on board with my business when it first started. Those lockdown boxes that had a drink, snack and 3-5 conversation prompts to create an experience. It was fun while it lasted but not practical long-term, or even the vision.

There was soon little to no demand for at-home experiences in the same way so we pivoted, and then my 30-prompt card decks were born. We expanded our range with new themes, I facilitated my first workplace team-building event, and the wheels started turning.

We've continued to do the above over the years but to be completely honest, I forgot Love Your Company was turning five until a week before.

Getting here has been hard work. It's been difficult to build interest, build a community, and network for more business. I know the value of my work has been appreciated by clients and customers, but I haven't been able to build the steady momentum I was hoping to achieve by this point.

I even went full-time with the business until very recently, which was the most fulfilling few years, but also the hardest. I carefully planned out my days to make my time count, attended so many events, met lots of great people and pitched Love Your Company in many different ways. But it simply wasn't enough to sustain and I do feel sad about that.

That's the thing about having your own business. It is personal. You work hard, invest your time and money because you have an idea that you believe will make a difference. And it's all yours, with your stamp on it, so of course you want to make it a success.

But that also means accepting the shortcomings and making tough decisions that your heart might not want, but logic is telling you otherwise. The most difficult part was, like many of us, all I ever wanted was time to build something, and if I used that time wisely, I'd reap the rewards. While I did accomplish a lot and am genuinely proud of myself, the business wasn't getting the traction needed and I'm still trying to build a community of supporters.

This isn't intended to be a sympathy post so please don't feel bad for me. I just want to highlight the reality of someone going all in for something and genuinely believing it would work, but it not quite paying off (literally).

I am thankful everyday for my education, intelligence, kindness and warmth, because this is what will continue to carry me through life and my next opportunities. It's what gives me security and comfort and I'm privileged in many ways that I've been able to run my business for the past five years in a 'squiggly' way.

The concept of Love Your Company and encouraging human connection across the ages through meaningful conversations remains at our core, and I will continue to find new and interesting ways to pursue this mission.

My passion and enthusiasm for my business hasn't changed, so we keep the wheels turning. And of course, if you want to support me, you can shop our decks and bundle offers, enquire about our services, or read previous blog posts :)

If you sign up to the Love Your Company newsletter this month, you'll get a discount code for 50% off our decks. Take advantage of this promo because it's too good to miss, and likely won't come back again.

---