Rambly end of year musings from the founder…err Chea
I’ve never said phrases like “hang in there” or “stay healthy” as much as I have this year. Collectively it was all we could say not knowing if there was any end in sight. Rather than focus on the dumpster fire of 2020, a fact that we’re all well aware of, I’m choosing to reflect and express gratitude for this year’s learnings, successes and, of course, clients. When I first launched Indie Creative right before the pandemic I thought that one client would be a huge success. I’m so grateful that I’m closing 2020 with five incredible clients.
Craft beer if nothing else, is just a liquid, though a damn delicious one. For me, it’s symbolic of the connections and friendship that I have fostered throughout the years that have been a consistent thread in my career. I’m grateful for WeldWerks taking a leap of faith with me and signing on as my first client. Their incredibly authentic approach to their business, and the people behind it, has been inspiring to watch and they are a dream to work with. I have so much respect for Shawnee and the Colorado Brewers Guild who have lobbied tirelessly to promote and protect independent Colorado craft breweries. The pandemic hit the Guild hard and even short-staffed they have been unrelenting in their efforts to keep craft breweries open. LUKI Brewery, a family-run Arvada brewery that opened in the middle of the pandemic continues to energize me with their hard work and dedication. Tristan Chan, my friend and founder of PorchDrinking, launched his own marketing company this year. I’m so excited to collaborate on projects with The Porch Collective in the years to come.
As a freelancer, finding work and life balance often seems like some obscure notion that’s a nice idea but not realistic in practice. The straight up hustle and heaviness of 2020 brought on a greater desire for self-care, gently nudging and then thrusting me into the arms of Urban Sanctuary, a wellness and yoga studio in Five Points that supports marginalized communities. Hopping onto the mat for a virtual class, with messages of healing, support and social justice, has been so rewarding. I’m honored to share the amazing work that Ali Duncan and Urban Sanctuary are doing for the community. Urban Sanctuary also led me to Marc Neal with ONYX Training, a consulting company offering anti-bias training to law enforcement. I never sought out to make social justice a focus for my business but working with these two dynamic individuals have shifted everything. You have to follow your passion—even if it doesn’t fit in a box.
At Indie Creative I often say “we” because I dream of the day when I can hire a badass team to collaborate with. I also have trouble promoting myself (yes, I see the irony in all of this given my line of work), but the truth of the matter is Indie Creative is a company of one. With that comes feelings of isolation, second guessing and self judgment that 2020 only exacerbated. However, with all of the challenges, growth was just around the corner. I challenged myself to get outside my comfort zone. I learned to take deep breaths and not react immediately. I learned to be patient. I learned to trust myself.
As we head towards a brand new year, I hope that we look back on 2020 with honest reflection. What did we learn? How did we grow? And how can we move forward?
Here’s to a new year. It was hard but we made it. So let’s not waste this energy.
-Chea