What a year 2020 has been! This month we’re looking back at 12 months of tips, tricks, and bites of knowledge from previous Hustle & Heart articles as a reminder that you have everything you need at your fingertips to create a thriving brand and business.

#1 Collaborate but Know What You Bring to the Table

Remember, you don’t need another you! Great collaboration comes from working alongside others with different skill sets and experiences of their own. You want to continue to work in your zone of genius and partner with someone who can do the same in theirs.

#2 Build Content Highlighting Your Brand Culture

From social media and blog posts to paid advertisements and video content, everything you share from your brand is building a culture around your business. Ultimately, this is what helps a consumer decide if your business is for them or not. The culture of your company is built from these three components evident throughout your content: mission, values, and passion.

#3 Don’t Let Them Forget You After That Networking Event

Send emails letting new connections know how much you look forward to connecting further. If you are following up with someone who can truly be pivotal in your business journey or a specific project you’re working on, now is the perfect time to add an invitation for a coffee date or a short meeting!

#4 Remind Customers and Clients That You Care

Create a strategy led by gratitude to remind them that you’re there next time they need you. Send special promo codes and discounted offers inviting them to work with you or shop with you again. Mark your calendar for special holidays throughout the year and shoot over some on-brand holiday well wishes in their inbox or mailbox.

#5 Organize All the Things and Prepare for What’s Next

Setting aside a little time to get organized can add up to make a big impact! Start with physical organization and attack things like your desk, old receipts, office supplies, notebooks, etc. Next, get virtually organized by spending some designated time to clean out your inbox, update client records, file contracts, update Quickbooks, and Google drive.

#6 Don’t Let Money Hold You Back From Getting Started

That tiny computer that’s in your hand all day is really all you need to get started selling online. Don’t wait until you can afford a web designer or graphic artist – begin selling online through your website if you have one or a third party like Facebook, Instagram, eBay, Amazon, Shopify, and others.

#7 Add Brain Dump Exercises to Your Every Day

If you’re unfamiliar with a brain dump exercise, this is some of the greatest 10 to 15 minutes you can spend in your day. Low time commitment with big impact makes for a great mix! Grab a pen and paper or open up a blank word document and give yourself time to just brainstorm and dump all your ideas out in front of you. You can think of a specific topic and let yourself go to town pouring out ideas.

#8 Remember, If It’s Not a Heck Yes, Then It’s a No

Home in on your “no” and learn to embrace the freedom behind it. If you are not on fire for something, then reserve that “yes” and move on! A tough lesson to learn and embrace is that every opportunity is not your opportunity. Trust your gut and learn to identify how you feel before you give that “yes,” and it will become even more powerful.

#9 Rethink Your Existing Offers to Explore Revenue Streams

Look at what you currently sell in your business; what problems are your offers the solution to for your customer? Imagine if you could create something new that helped solve that same problem in a different way. You may even be able to come up with additional problems you could solve for your customer with a new product or service that complements your initial one.

#10 Communicate Authentically to Create Real Connection with Your Audience   

Put your blinders on and focus on who you really are and how you project yourself in your businesses. Ignore that comparison trap and think about your brand as a whole when you communicate. Home in to who you really are and who you aspire to be, and you will build real connections with the people who need you most.

#11 Challenge Yourself to Dig Deeper to Refocus Your Business 

Think about what’s on your list right now that you want to achieve and ask yourself if failure wasn’t an option, would your goals be different? Give yourself permission to dig deeper and push towards the growth that you really want as a brand! The same goes for letting go of old goals that may not serve you anymore and creating new ones that do.

#12 Hit the Pause Button and Celebrate Tiny Victories

Whether you experienced some major pivots or followed your original plans, you should be proud of making it through 2020! Take time to celebrate every little thing you accomplished this year and get excited for what the next 12 months can bring.