Happy Birthday Waldow Social!
On July 11th, 2011, I launched Project Awesome. Three weeks later, my social media experiment successfully concluded when I founded Waldow Social. Today I celebrate Waldow Social’s one-year anniversary.
I figured it was worth taking a few minutes to reflect on this past year as well as discuss what’s next. More than anything, this is one of those posts I see myself coming back to … maybe even showing to Eva or Cal if they choose to start their own company some day. I guess what I’m saying is that this blog post is not really meant to inspire anyone or to be a “lessons learned” commentary. Instead, it’s just a way to capture some thoughts.
Over The Past Year
In the past year since Waldow Social launched, I’ve:
- Helped nearly a dozen clients – one of whom has been with me since the beginning (thanks Infusionsoft!) and another who I’ve been working with since December.
- Co-authored an email marketing book, The Rebel’s Guide to Email Marketing – set to be in stores later this month.
- Penned 53 blog posts.
On the personal side of things …
- Kristina and I introduced our son, Cal Viking Waldow, to his big sister Eva.
- Kristina finished her Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellowship at the University of Utah.
- We sold our house in Salt Lake City, UT.
- We moved in with our inlaws for 3 weeks (fun!)
- We found a house to rent in San Jose, CA.
- We hired an awesome nanny (she starts today!) from Eva’s daycare in Salt Lake City.
What The Next Year Looks Like For Waldow Social
As I look into my crystal ball of Waldow Social: Year Two, I see a few things on the horizon. I’ve hired a kick-ass business coach, Carrie Wilkerson (aka The Barefoot Executive) to help take Waldow Social to the next level. It’s time. I’m ready. And Carrie is the best in the business.
I’ve redesigned Waldow Social to be more of a business website with a blog component. I found that people would land on WaldowSocial.com and have no clue what services I offer. The new site will launch … as soon as I make it a priority. Ha!
Speaking of services, I’m also working on refining those a bit. I want to help clients become better email marketers and give them a few options to get there depending on what their needs are.
I’m considering adding a product – something email marketing related – to the mix.
I have a few other things in the hopper. Stay tuned.
Closing Thoughts
Ever since my dreams of being a Major League Baseball player were crushed (I got cut from the freshman team!), I’ve wanted to work for myself. My dad has always been self-employed and I aspired to do the same. A year ago today that dream became a reality.
Just yesterday, a friend and colleague forwarded me a job opening. I had to politely remind her – as I have to the dozens of other folks who have send me similar opportunities – that I have a job. While it has not always been easy and not always been fun, it’s exactly what I want to be doing – working for myself. I would not trade it for the world.
Thanks to everyone who has helped me get this far. I kinda feel like one year is a big deal. Ha! Right? If you would like to join me in a virtual toast sometime today, I’m all in. I’ll be drinking a celebratory (American) beer later this afternoon!
DJ Waldow
Waldow Social
@djwaldow
