From Our Flock To Yours, Happy Holidays!

Just yesterday, we were rolling into 2014, bright-eyed and full of energy, ready to make things happen. I can’t believe it’s already December 24th and we’re just days away from hitting the ground running on our list of aspirations for 2015. Monday and Tuesday, Black Sheep spent two days out of the office in our annual New Year planning retreat, reflecting on our accomplishments, analyzing what we can do better and making a long, ambitious list of the things we feel the need to do in the coming year. If you’re in a similar mindset, I recently stumbled upon this little gem, aimed at helping you reflect, appreciate and get excited for 2015, and suggest you do the same. There’s nothing quite as therapeutic as taking a step back to think about what you’ve done, what matters and what’s next.

As the second day of our Retreat came to a close, we moved into holiday party mode and popped open the champagne, wine and Buff Brews and began to celebrate both memories and plans ahead, and one of my most favorite things happened. After dinner, spouses and significant others began to drop in. Friends, roommates and assorted clients who happened to text, tweet or call at the right time got a last-minute “stop-on-by” invite. And before we knew it, we had a serendipitous mix of some of our favorite people in the community in the room—laughing, sharing stories and making a ridiculous list of celebrities we just can’t tolerate. (You had to be there?)

It was a perfect example of the thing I’m most grateful for in doing this work and running this agency. We’ve managed to move beyond the traditional thinking of work-life balance and into what I like to call work-life integration, magically blending the things (and people!) we care about into our work, so that there is no need for separation or boundaries between work and “life.” It feels good. Thank you for being a part of that journey for us, a part of our blended passions and all that comes with them. Thank you for showing up, supporting us and calling us friends. We’re ever grateful for your presence in our lives and look forward to all that is to come in 2015. From all of us at the Black Sheep Agency, we wish you a wonderful and restful holiday. We’ve got big things to do together in January!

May your holidays be merry + bright,

Aimee Woodall
Leader of the Flock