Henryk Branding Co. — Our Year In Review
Wow. Where has 2018 gone?! It’s hard to believe that a year has nearly passed since I officially launched this company. It’s been one whirlwind of a year, but I couldn’t be more thankful for the incredible ride it’s been. In keeping with a common new year’s eve tradition, I’m reflecting on the year that’s passed and the many things the company has to look forward to in 2019.
2018 began with a lot of travel for conferences and clients. This kept things busy and challenging until the spring hit when it was time to (attempt to) take a three week hiatus from the business to start my Masters of Arts in Communications and Technology at the University of Alberta here in Edmonton. I learned my lesson the hard way that I can’t run the business full-time and do two graduate level classes at the same time. We’ll see how this works in 2019…
My past experience in business showed me that summers were often quieter, but that was definitely not the case this year. The third quarter of 2018 was one of the busiest, which meant putting plans for Henryk Cultivated: The Podcast on hold. Cue the Universe when an idea better than the podcast plunked itself in my lap later in the fall. Stay tuned. This is in the works for the new year.
With a jam packed second and third quarter, I reached out to the wonderfully talented, Paige Simpson, to join the Henryk Branding Co. team in a more permanent capacity. Paige has been a fantastic addition and someone I feel so fortunate to have found. She is mature beyond her years, trustworthy, hard working, and always keeps the client’s best interest in mind. I could not have gotten through this year without her help!
In June, I was serendipitously connected with local business owner, Amanda Wagner, to help her rebrand and build the brand for her new company. We worked together over the summer months and a friendship quickly blossomed. We found that two businesses complemented one another and so it made perfect sense to join forces on a workshop series we dubbed “Beyond The Brand.” We kicked the series off in November and it will wrap up in March. We plan to continue to offer this series later in 2019 to business owners and entrepreneurs looking to build their brand. Keep an eye out for the next series announcement!
In the fall, I once again attempted to take a small break from the business to tie the knot with my long-time fiancé, Paul. We secretly eloped in the mountains just above the town of Canmore, Alberta, with a few of our closest friends. The day was perfect, despite the chilly weather and snow, and the fresh mountain air was a great way to breathe new creativity into my thinking. I returned to work ready to dive in to finish the last quarter of 2018 with a bang.
The rest of the year flew by with more client projects, branding workshops, speaking engagements, and events. As I put the numbers together for the year, it’s surprising how much our little boutique branding company accomplished in its first year. I know we never could have done it without the countless hours of dedicated work from the contractors we have the pleasure of working with, or the support of our incredible network of creatives. I am especially grateful for the partnership and mentorship from the folks at Social Lite Communications and Strategy Peak. And most of all, I am endlessly thankful and humbled by the many clients who put their faith in our ability to build brands and help their business grow.
Thank you to everyone who made 2018 so productive, meaningful, and successful. I look forward to all the exciting things that 2019 will throw our way!
Happy New Year!
- Carina Ludgate, Principal and Founder