Hi everyone! It’s that time again. It’s time for a recap of 2023! I didn’t think I would do one this year since I stopped blogging in February to start my Substack newsletter. However, I started blogging again in August to work on long-form content and marketing for my podcast and podcast coaching business. I’ll get into more details about that when I get that month. I wish I hadn’t stopped blogging because my numbers dropped drastically. Anyway, let’s start with the recap.
January
We brought in the new year in our home surrounded by family. We played dominos, sang, and danced. It was a great time. We went to St. Augustine on the second day to catch the lights and eat pizza. It was a lovely family time.
We visited a spring close to our house, I hosted a vision board party, and was invited to an entrepreneurship dinner.
February
February is my birthday and wedding anniversary month! So this year, since it was my 30th birthday, I started planning my birthday dinner back in November, and it was hosted on a Yacht in Tampa. But before we went to dinner on my birthday/wedding anniversary day, we were in Daytona Beach and stayed at Club Wyndham Ocean Walk Resort.
We ate at this delicious Asian restaurant called Leanh’s and went to the Art and Science Museum in Daytona Beach.
This month, I participated in an anthology called God Blocked It, hosted by Dr. Tamika Hall. It was the first time I had participated in such a project. I enjoyed the process, and it was nice meeting the other ladies.
Lastly, this month, I got accepted into an internship program by one of my favorite podcasters, Jamie Ivey, which was a full-circle moment. I truly enjoyed my time working with her and her team. I definitely learned a lot. Also, I took the podcasting course she had available and learned a few things about certain equipment and things to implement on my show.
March
This month, we drove to Atlanta for a few days, and I did some shopping for jeans. I also flew to Boston for a college visit. I met my parents and younger sister there. It was my first time being in Boston. After the college tour, we went to eat seafood, and I had the best lobster tail ever! I met up with a close friend who lives there, and it was so nice to catch up.
April
The Fallow House Newsletter featured my poem for National Poetry Month. We got the fence on our house, I started business coaching with my friend, and was the guest speaker for a women’s networking event.
May
I recorded my first in-person interview for my podcast, which included video! Unfortunately, the audio didn’t transfer correctly, so I had to record again. But this time, we did it virtually. For Mother’s Day, we went to eat Hibachi and then attended Disney on Ice. When I purchased the tickets, I didn’t realize I bought them for Mother’s Day. It ended up being a great day anyway! Nothing better than hanging out with my family.
This month, my daughter had her dance recital, a hip-hop dance to the theme of The Lion King. And she also flew to the Dominican Republic to spend her summer. I also got the news that I was accepted into Alli Worthington’s year-long internship! Lastly, we celebrated my younger sister’s high school graduation.
June
I flew twice this month to my hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. The first time was a solo trip to attend my friend’s wedding. The second time, hubby and my son came with me, and the trip was to attend my best friend’s 30th birthday party.
That trip was my son’s first time on an airplane and was an adventure. His pacifier fell while getting him out of the car, and neither my husband nor I noticed. We were on the shuttle when my husband asked me where it was.
The flight got delayed twice because of thunderstorms here in Florida, and we ended up flying at around midnight. My son was super tired and had no pacifier. He did well during the flight until the last 30 minutes – he was cranky, and there was no way to console him.
I continued recording more in-person interviews with videos for my podcast as planned for the YouTube channel. Dear Sisters magazine featured my article.
Lastly, for the Alli Worthington internship, she hosts two retreats per year, and I was able to join and meet the ladies. It was great, and I cannot wait for the next retreat in January.
July
I started planning my first How to Launch a Podcast Masterclass in July. I continued recording in-person interviews for my podcast and virtual interviews, which would now have videos included. We also gave my daughter’s room a makeover. We got her a new bedframe and painted her room pink!
August
I attended a women’s empowerment and networking event called V.A.G. – which stands for Vision, Ambition, and Goals. The speakers were great, and I learned so much! My daughter returned from the Dominican Republic and started fourth grade. We celebrated hubby’s birthday at a Brazilian steakhouse. I was invited to be a guest speaker at a women’s event. I felt so honored to have been invited. This month, I also started a small Bible Study group, which was unintentional. I started blogging again! Lastly, I hosted the first Masterclass for launching a podcast and got good feedback! This was the beginning of the podcast coaching program!
September
I traveled again to Grand Rapids this month to attend Jackie Hill Perry’s Glory Conference. I went with a good friend, and I loved showing her around my hometown and telling her stories of me growing up. This was my first solo trip, and I truly enjoyed it. I launched my YouTube channel for my podcast this month! It was exciting!
I also battled with COVID for the second time. I started The Coach School with Alli Worthington, which is one of the added perks of being a part of her internship program.
October
This month, we celebrated my dad’s birthday. My husband and I attended the fundraising Gala for Orlando Center for Justice, a non-profit organization providing legal immigration services. Their theme for this year was The Great Gatsby. It was fun dressing up!
We continued our fall tradition of attending a fall festival, so this year, we returned to Southern Hills Farms and spent the whole day there. We did tractor riding, ate apple cider donuts, picked sunflowers from the field, and the kids rode rides!
This month, we had a health scare with my son, who experienced a rectal prolapse, which I will dedicate a whole post for soon because it was a stressful experience, but we learned a lot while dealing with this.
November
My daughter got recognized for her excellent grades at school. And immediately after the awards ceremony, I had to drive to my son’s consultation with a pediatric surgeon. We hosted Friendsgiving this year, and I enjoyed having our friends together for dinner!
This month, at a financial education event, I taught the benefits of podcasting as a marketing strategy. For Thanksgiving, we stayed home. After our dinner, we watched The Polar Express and played Jenga.
My daughter wanted to celebrate her birthday at Altitude, which is a trampoline park, with some of her classmates. But on the day of her actual birthday, we went to eat Hibachi.
Lastly, I discovered that my podcast ranks in the top 10% globally! This is a huge accomplishment because I’ve only focused on producing good content! I honestly don’t focus on analytics.
December
I got a fantastic email this month: my acceptance into the Redbud Writers Guild. I’m so proud of how far and what I’ve accomplished with my writing! This month was the end of The Coach School, so I finished that program and officially became a certified coach. My daughter had her holiday ballet recital.
At the time of writing this, we have planned to go to the Dominican Republic for my son’s second birthday and Christmas. And my husband’s family is coming down to bring in the new year with us. So, I’ll write about that experience when I write my word of the year post next year!
Thank you so much if you’ve read this far! I greatly appreciate it; again, this post mainly reflects on the year, sees how much was done, and shares experiences with my audience.
Recap of 2023!
Overall, this year was good! We had our challenges and successes, but I am happy with the outcome overall! I feel focused and ready for what 2024 has to offer! Please take some time to reflect on your year and be grateful for all the blessings and all the accomplishments you had! Thank you for sticking around! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
With Love, Heidy
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