Anyone who knows me knows that something I’m extremely passionate about is celebrations. Whether it be a client win, a birthday, or Groundhog Day, I am all in for it. (Ask my coworkers – I truly am a huge enthusiast in the Punxsutawney Phil holiday.)

However, I’m different when it comes to my own celebrations. I do get excited, and show it when I’m around others – but in private, I kind of just shrug them off. It’s easy to shrug off your own achievements while praising others for theirs. This year, one of my goals is to take in my own celebrations a bit more, to be present and (dare I say it?) be proud of myself. 

This past week, I received a promotion to account executive and have taken on responsibility for one of the firm’s biggest clients.. This is a HUGE deal! After a year of writing so much and working so hard on countless client accounts, my efforts have paid off and I’ve been recognized for it. 

Instead of doing my thing and going back to my usual routine of non-self-celebration, I wanted to use this blog to take a quick moment to look back at the past year – similar to what I did in my six-month blog, but this time a whole additional six months wiser. 

Thinking back to where I was a year ago, I had just graduated from Florida State a month prior, and only bought my first pair of actual work pants a few weeks prior. I was also very nervous. The person I was then is in no way who I am now, a result of the incredible growth I’ve experienced over the past year. 

I have a newfound confidence in myself and my skills. With the encouragement and trust of my coworkers and the firm’s partners, I believe in myself and what I bring to the table. I know I can give my clients solid advice and deliver better work than I have before. I’m no longer nervous to log onto a weekly client meeting where I have to give an update!

I now have the experience to back up my skills. If you looked at my first press release or op-ed from last year, you’d probably cringe. At the point where I am now, I definitely cringe at it! Now, I can effectively whip up a release or op-ed in the client’s voice and with their message in relatively no time. It used to take me hours to half a day.

I have results that prove to clients that I’m someone to be trusted. I’ve gotten so many media hits over the past year in major Florida publications, as well as a number of nationwide hits.

I have helped produce numerous fantastic videos in coordination with a video crew for clients’ various needs, such as for a PSA series or for marketing purposes. I’ve crafted SO much content — blog posts, social media posts, website copy, and more — that shares my client’s message in innovative and creative ways. 

I’ve shared my own thoughts, perspectives, and experiences with confidence. This blog is pretty personal, and dropping it out there for the whole internet (or at least the portion populated by Sachs Media’s and my own followers) to read was daunting. However, I learned to simply be transparent about my experiences since a lot of people probably feel the same way as I do. Writing this blog has also helped me feel confident in what I have to say, which has helped me when talking to my clients, too. 

The best part is that I’m still learning — and loving to learn — making mistakes that make me better, workshopping my own writing, and having fun. I can only improve further, thanks to the bosses who invested in me. 

However, it’s important for me, as it should be for any young professionals who struggle to recognize their own successes, to take the time to celebrate. So forgive me for a moment if I “shout” a quiet “woohoo!” to my one-year-older self.