2009 Wrap Up - Better Late Than Never!

Ok...so yeah it's officially February, and I should have done my "best of" posts in December or January. But better late than never I always say!

Anywho, I wanted to do a recap of my 2009 experience, sort of a highlights reel of things that were the best moments and/or turning points that really helped to reposition myself in life & more. So, without any extra ramblings, here's my top list starting from January '09 and moving forward:

March: I finished my first draft for my book, Mind Games. I was so excited...it was my first book and a major accomplishment. I never thought I could find enough to write about to fill up enough pages to be considered a book - but I did! ^_^

April: I quit my 9-5 Hallelujah! Even now, I get such a thrill remembering the way I felt when I walked out of my old job - especially since I had barely been there for an hour. I don't know why, but on the walk to the subway, I kept thinking of the final scene in Braveheart where Mel Gibson's character screams "FREEDOM" really loud...I felt such relief and a feeling like an old depressing chapter in my life was over and that the best was yet to come! Which was true because that same day I went home, got a call and had people already asking me to consult with them. Incidentally, the following week I had LASIK which was awesome & money well spent!

June: I partnered with Microsoft's Windows Media Guide division for my company Big Apple Style Marketing. It was the first serious partnership with a major Fortune 500 international firm and made me feel awesome. It's one thing when you make deals and handle business for someone else's business - it's quite another when it's your own company!

August: I release the website for my company, Big Apple Style Marketing - this is mostly important because I pretty much did the website myself. ^_^ And it's not like I'm a real graphic designer, or live on Photoshop or Dreamweaver either.

October: I sealed the deal for 3 clients to perform overseas - in Japan no less! And to put the icing on the cake, they were offered residency performance opps (they're DJs). I definitely felt a sense of accomplishment!

November: Japan Trip 2.0 for Japan Music Week. There's something nice about traveling without having to play "mother may I" like when I used to have a 9-5. There's also something nice about not having to sneak in your own personal work while at someone else's company. When it's yours, you don't have to hide!

December: Typically the time between Thanksgiving and post New Years can be a really dead time for a lot of companies - since the heavy hitters aren't around to broker deals. So, not the case for me this past December. I was so busy...and had so much business being thrown my way that I'm still doing follow ups and it's February now! ^_^