This weekend, I will be celebrating 15 years in business! While I was freelancing for a while before I officially started my business, I always count November 3, 2009 as the day it all began. That was the day I purchased my domain and launched my website. Today, I want to share with you the story of how my business sort of just fell into my lap and some of the biggest highlights over the last FIFTEEN years.
“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” -Alexander Graham Bell
One of the biggest lessons I've learned is not to dwell on the past. When I first started freelancing, I had just been laid off from a big, fancy corporate job, and I was hell-bent on finding another high-level marketing position in another large tech company. I spent months job-searching, interviewing, freelancing and spending time with my (then 3-year old) daughter. That extra time with her was certainly a blessing in disguise. But there were other blessings to come my way....
I spent 6 months looking back at that closed door. Focused on trying to find a new position where I could use my 15 years of experience in marketing. Meanwhile, I reconnected with the owner of a plastic surgery practice where I had served as the office manager early in my career. Through a family connection, I met with a local orthodontist and started to combine my healthcare and marketing knowledge to create marketing programs for his practice. As time went on, and luck would have it (or maybe we can attribute it to an increase in new patients), he started to refer me to some of his colleagues in the greater Boston area. That summer, I remember sitting in the office of a south shore orthodontist discussing a strategy for marketing his growing practice of 5 locations. He looked at me and said, "Why aren't you doing this full-time? This should be your business." That moment shifted everything.
I didn't realize I was already doing the "thing" - and unbeknownst to me, that thing was starting to grow into a real business. That client helped me realize the door had been wide-open all along just waiting for me to open my eyes to see it. And so the journey began... Over the years I have built incredible partnerships - some that have lasted for more than a decade!
COVID - A Time of Reflection
Fast forward to 2020, with a bit of unexpected time to reflect and a new partnership with Wix - another door opened with the opportunity to help new clients. Of course, we still specialize in partnering with healthcare providers, but we were able to expand the business to reach more service-based businesses across the globe.
The Birth of a New Brand
Since personal and professional interests often blend and support each other in our best work, I was yearning for a name that encompassed the authenticity and creativity that I had experienced throughout my life as a professional dancer. Learning the steps and watching the skilled choreography of incredible performances, I noticed the undeniable connections between what I was doing in the studio - and in the office.
Movement is the core of marketing – and movement has always been a huge part of my life....so we proudly launched Sound Moves Marketing! Differentiating ourselves with marketing that moves you.
And here we are, celebrating 15 years and hundreds of clients in healthcare and beyond. I'm still amazed that I get to do this everyday! Being an entrepreneur is a wonderful privilege, with room for continuous learning, curiosity, autonomy, creativity, and meaningful connections.
And so I've compiled my first 15 years in review - and I'm looking forward to what the next 15 years will bring. Especially since my daughter, now 18, is studying digital marketing management in college and that might open the door to working alongside mom at some point. Hey, maybe I can learn a few things from her!? Which brings me to my final lesson learned - opportunities are endless if you stay open to life's possibilities.
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