2021 Recap
A look back on another pandemic year
2021 Recap
By Jenn Chen • Issue #143 • View online
Welcome to the last newsletter issue of the year. Hello to new subscribers and thank you to everyone who read my words this year.
- I’m one of the Sprudgie finalists in the Best Coffee Writing category- you can vote for me (or someone else) here.
- I took an online class on wreath making and it is surprisingly easy! I plan on changing it out with each new season.
- I wasn’t able to attend, so I appreciate this recap of the Digital Coffee Future Traceability summit.
In 2022, I’d like to take on an advice column-style approach for a few newsletter issues. If you have any burning digital marketing questions you’d like me to address, hit the reply button.
See you all in 2022!
2021 Recap
Oh look, it’s the end of another year. A year that really feels like it’s only been three months long. I used to set a word of intention for the year with goals plus a year-end reflection on them. Obviously, 2020 didn’t count as a year. So, here we are for a 2021 recap.
This year, I tried pretty hard to not overwhelm myself with work so I did not actively seek any new clients. But things still happened:
- Signed on two new coaching clients
- Wrote and presented a set of private education modules for a client
- Wrote at least 50 articles, which is really just mind-blowing to me. A handful will be published in 2022.
- Took a birthday glamping trip and two weekend getaways.
- Reached a 1000-day streak in Duolingo Spanish
- Sprained my ankle, which took around four months to heal.
- Nominated for a Sprudgie in the Best Coffee Writing category
- Went on Ever’s In Good Taste podcast to talk about corporate apologies. I also did a few other podcast interviews that may or may not come out.
- I tried out a new-to-me lactose intolerance pill called Dairy Care (a daily dietary supplement that creates & maintains active lactobacillus acidophilus cultures). For the last six months, I’ve had maybe one lactose intolerance reaction (and I love dairy!).
- Got really into wallpaper and contact paper and revamped my kitchen & bathroom.
- Helped launch an industry mentorship program with GoFundBean. We completed the beta and are reworking it for 2022.
- Learned about the existence of low pressure-induced headaches and I am still figuring out how to manage them.
Of the writing I did, these were a few of my favorites:
- The Big World Of Tiny Cafe Miniatures
- Free template: Tracking your press mentions
- F—k email etiquette: This issue had the most responses of anything I wrote in the newsletter this year.
- Mental health tip: Keep a kudos document
- The Nostalgia And Beauty Of Vintage Camper Van Cafes
- I don’t want to know about your Asian wife
And that’s the end of the lists. The year wasn’t terrible but then again, I think I did the best I could with what I had.
Quick text updates & links on what’s new on the networks
Instagram added profile embeds, playback, IG visual replies. It’s testing: favorites and reverse chronological order preference. The network published a Gen-Z 2022 trends report.
Twitter added auto-captions on videos. It’s testing: quote tweet with reaction, an updated text editor, and a full-screen vertical view.
Facebook added links in livestreams and professional profiles for creators.
Helpful links on how to improve your digital marketing
17 Unforgettable Year-in-Review Email Examples (+How to Write Your Own)
Use these brilliant year-in-review examples, ideas, and tips to write a year-end email that drives your marketing goals, delights your customers and readers, and builds loyalty!
Live Video and Live Commerce Growth: What Marketers Need to Know
Discover insights on the growth of live commerce and how you can take advantage of this trend.
www.socialmediaexaminer.com • Share
How to Hire a Social Media Manager: Our Exact Process and Job Description
I’ve recently been going through the process of hiring a new social media manager for Buffer so I wanted to share what I’ve learned so far to help anyone else who wants to bring on a social media manager for their team.
Anything I’ve enjoyed reading recently
Your most beloved “family” recipe just might have been dreamed up by a corporation in order to sell products. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
The therapists using AI to make therapy better
Researchers are learning more about how therapy works by examining the language therapists use with clients. It could lead to more people getting better, and staying better.
www.technologyreview.com • Share
Jason Isbell Is Tired Of Country’s Love Affair With White Nostalgia
“I think it’s possible to acknowledge that you have benefited from a system that’s unequal without feeling shame or even guilt from it.”
An update from my container garden!
Somehow, my coffee plant is still alive despite me being pretty sure that it's root bound x10.
What'd you think?
Feedback, questions, or fist bumps 👊 – send them my way by hitting the reply button. Also happy with the 👍 at the end. Or find me on the social networks @thejennchen.
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