Time for a Spring Clean

The first week of March has come and gone and I've been thinking about the changes that need to happen beyond just spring cleaning my chaotic household.

Last year, I had a career change from a Leader of Volunteer Programmes in the housing sector to now running my own business as a Social Media Marketing Consultant. In theory it wasn't that big a shift ... I have a background in journalism and delivered countless internal and external marketing campaigns in the charity sector ... the only shift this time ... would be that I would be doing this all by myself as a business.

So as daunting as it was to turn away from a 9-5 job offering the sense of satisfaction and purpose from helping others in need, I now had to garner satisfaction from boosting the brands of more commercial customers in an online space. I struggled initially and missed that sense of accomplishment of adding to the greater good.

But then things started to shift ... once I graduated I decided that I'd continue pursuing working with charities and those in the third sector. The spotlight needs to be shone on the work being done in that sector, just as much as it does for those in the commercial sector. It's then that things started moving in a new direction. I started meeting people who had a vested interest as change makers in the community and I started networking with more entrepeneurs and independent businesses who in their own way were making a mark.

My vision board in January included goals around creating a business that offered a service that helped clients realise their ambitions through social media. I want more inspiration in 2020 and wanted to share with the world just how inspiring charities are in changing people's lives. In November, things started gaining pace, I took on two commercial clients and also chose to use my new found skills to promote a different appeal at Christmas. Along with another local mum we organised a Pre-loved Christmas Bazaar with independent makers, artisans as well as individuals who wanted to not only shop, but give back at Christmas time. We raised money for local mental health charity Ealing, Hammersmith & Fulham Mind, supporting people with Mental Health over Christmas time. For the first time in a while, I shared a different message with my little ones that to give back is just as rewarding as to receive.

So it's time for another Spring Clean! My vision board is truly becoming a living document! Earlier this year, I partnered with Mary Portas' charity store Mary's Living and Giving in Ealing to highlight the role sustainable fashion can have in a time when everyone is talking about the effects of climate change. What does this mean? It means fewer clothes going to landfill and using and re-using our resources for good. The moments captured in beautiful surroundings in Gunnersbury Park, has given me further pause for thought.

Social media has had some bad press with the likes of Facebook linked to fake news, Instagram Influencers being exploited and most recently the tragic news of Caroline Flack's suicide, but its' also provided a mere Social Media Marketing Consultant like me with the opportunity to engage with audiences I previously would have never encountered.

So I'm clearing some metaphorical cobwebs because it's time for a Spring Clean of my services, my brand, my audience, my networks and my vision. Time to add a few more scrapbooking images to my Vision Board and help the world to sing. May the blooming flowers of March also help you take time to give your career choices the dust over it needs.