Well, it’s been quite some time since I last wrote here.
For many reasons unknown, right now feels like a good time to finally sit down and have a big ol’ catch up on the last couple of years. Maybe it has something to do with it being December. Perhaps it’s related to new beginnings. Or maybe, there’s no other reason other than “why not now?”
So, make yourself a brew, settle in and let’s catch up.
Recapping on the last two years
Grandiose Days – this corner of the internet – has always been my creative outlet since the very first day I bought the domain. It’s somewhere for me to write, to reminisce on the good times, and capture my thoughts and feelings.
Then, in December 2019, that all changed.
Life took a new path – and with it, so did Grandiose Days.
I was made redundant. What was once my creative outlet soon became my lifeline. Grandiose Days moved from being a lifestyle blog to being the base for my freelance career within social media and content marketing. At the time, it made sense.
Then, in March 2020, the pandemic hit. Life became nothing but work. IT consumed my life – in a good way. I loved it. Seeing my business grow and thrive filled me with immense pride. I built this. I did it. I achieved the one thing I had always dreamed of. I owned my own business and it was doing quite alright.
By August 2021, it was time for another change. The business was going well and I now had a vision for the future of my business. And so, Fika Digital was born.
The beginning of Fika Digital
You see, Grandiose Days was never meant to be the business. It was always a mid-point; an easy entry. It was my way of testing the water and seeing if I actually could make it in the world of freelance before really diving in.
Turns out, I can.
So, it was time to put Grandiose Days to one side and pick things up at Fika Digital.
Fika Digital is a social media and content marketing agency, led by me. It’s a brand with strong values and a big heart. And it’s a brand that I hope to grow and nurture as I continue carving out my path as a business owner.
With all this said, growing a business, living through a pandemic and moving house (more on that later) hasn’t been easy.
There have been tears – a lot of tears.
There has been days, weeks, months even, where I have been crippled by self-doubt, wondering if I can really do this. Can I – a working-class girl from the poorest town in the UK – really be a successful business owner?
Put me in any job and I’ll believe I can do anything. But put me in charge of my own finances. Tell me to file tax and be solely responsible for my earnings forevermore and the uncertainty will have me doubting my abilities. The truth is, I have no reason to doubt myself. Over the past two years, I have proved to myself time and time again that I can do this. And yet, that voice asking me “but what if can’t?” lingers in the background.
Imposter syndrome is real, guys.
Anyway, the point of all of this is to say that the past two years has been a total rollercoaster.
I’ve been burnt out more than I care to admit. I’ve cried on the bathroom floor. I’ve word-vomited all my irrational fears and worries to my partner. I’ve turned to my business coach for reassurance. And, above all else, I’ve survived.
Growing a business these past two years has been hard. But doing that, while navigating a pandemic, moving house, and not being able to really enjoy the things I love (e.g. hiking, climbing, exploring) due to the other three elements has made me lose sight of myself.
My work consumed me. I became Tasmin, the social media and content marketer… and not much else. The things that made me who I am were a distant memory.
What’s next?
But now… now, I feel like I just might be ready to find myself again. It’s time to reconnect with the person I am outside of work.
I’m passionate about my business and the work that I do each and every day with Fika Digital. But, I am also more than just a job title. I need to remember that the little moments that happen when you aren’t working, are the ones that really matter at the end of the day.
So, as part of this extremely cheesy and somewhat waffley realisation, I’m going to attempt to reclaim Grandiose Days as my corner of the inner. Not as an online space for Tasmin, the agency owner/marketer but as a space for me – all of me.
I won’t promise to post frequently. Gosh, I won’t even promise to post another post after this.
But I will promise to post authentically. This blog is for myself, as much as it’s for the wonderful, kind people who come here and read my rambling thoughts.
You see, I have the world’s worst memory. I forget everything. I don’t even remember my childhood. Writing this blog helps me to remember the seemingly small moments of life.
Looking back at these blog posts and seeing my past adventures, ramblings and life events brings me so much joy. It’s my reminder that I can do this.
So yeah, this is a long-winded way of saying that Grandiose Days is coming back as a lifestyle blog.
For work purposes, you can find me at Fika Digital.
For now, Grandiose Days will be a place for all things life – whatever that may look like.