How did 2018 treat you?
It sure has been a wild adventure for us.
With the news that we were expecting a baby at the end of 2017; 2018 took our journey on a detour in a whole new direction that we weren’t quite expecting. But like all new adventures it has been one we have been excited to embark on.
To close out the year we are looking back at our top five moments of 2018 from both our business and personal lives, because when you run a small business the two become so entwined you can’t keep them separate.
Thank you for joining us on our adventure this year and hope you continue to tag along with us in 2019.
Cheers,
Melissa & Jeremy
#5 ↠ Celebrating One Year of Business
What a milestone to make it to one year of business! Running a small business can be one of the highest highs and lowest lows, especially when you manage all aspects of the business. We aren’t your typical online business, there is no team of people making things happen here behind the scenes. We truly are a mom and pop shop with just Melissa running 99% of the business, which has been no easy feat with a newborn in the mix. Our goal for 2019 is to grow the business to a point where we can hire help to take some of the load off, so we can focus more on the business side of things instead of the day to day activities.
#4 ↠ Welcoming an Awesome Team of Ambassadors
This year we added an ambassador team to represent the brand and help us spread the word about Davis Taylor Trading Co. It’s been so fun meeting new people through Instagram and making new friends in the process. If you haven’t met our ambassador team yet head on over now to meet the team. We are looking for a few new team members for 2019 so if you are interested let us know!
#3 ↠ Yosemite Road Trip
Back in May, while Melissa was six months pregnant, we headed off on a road trip to Yosemite! Like most of our road trips it wasn’t all for fun, we spent one day driving around the valley taking pictures of products in one of the worlds most amazing places. It sure was fun hiding the baby bump in all those pictures! While we are not so sure we would go camping that pregnant again, it sure was an experience we’ll never forget, even if Melissa spent more time relaxing in camp then on the trail then she usually does!
#2 ↠ Our First Donations to No-Kill Animal Shelters
Back in January of this year we made our first donations to no-kill animal shelters across the country based on 2017 sales. We had a very lofty goal to double the donation amount for 2018 and right now it looks like we are coming in just shy of that goal. Regardless of the amount it is still amazing that we can share the love with animals in need as a part of the mission of our business. With the support of our customers we have been able to help rescue animals all over the USA, and that makes us smile. It’s our way of helping out since we can’t adopt them all!
#1 ↠ The Birth of Our Son
Of course, this list would not be complete without the moment that changed our lives forever this year, our son’s birth in August. Baby JJ joined us on August 10th and it’s been nothing but an adventure since then. As first-time parents we have been learning so much about not only being a mom and dad, but also about ourselves, while testing the bounds of our relationship with the additional stress having a little one puts on things. All I know is every day may not be perfect, but the life we are creating together sure is.
Tell us about your top moments of 2018 in the comments below.