A wise man once said, “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look around once in a while, you could miss it.” 

As a modern marketing company, we pride ourselves on our commitment to planning. We’re always on the go — ever evolving and one step ahead of the curve. One drawback of this mindset, however, is that sometimes we forget to pause and celebrate our accomplishments. And that’s a big deal!

If we just keep going and going, never acknowledging the progress we are making as individuals and as a team, then what is this all for?

This was an “ah-ha” moment our CEO had after our 10th birthday back in 2018. So, this month, in honor of our 13th birthday, we are taking time to celebrate our wins.

We are proud to share a collection of 13 accomplishments from the past 13 years. Some big, some small, and all worth celebrating:

1. Virtual First! We have been successfully managing a virtual company for 13 years - before virtual was cool! We wholeheartedly believe in flexible work time as a creative company — we have team members all across the country and partners around the world! 🌎
2. Expanding Team! We’re no longer a one-woman show! Our team has tripled in size over the past few years, and now includes a diverse group of creative professionals in brand strategy, content production, web development, community engagement, and operations.
3. New Office Space! While SocializeLA will always be a virtual company, we’ve expanded our physical footprint to include offices in Los Angeles at City Club LA, Orange County at BizHaus, and New York City at The Farm Soho and Luminary. These communities serve as a source of inspiration, creativity, and a home-away-from home for our remote (and travel-obsessed) team.
4. Continued Education! Our Founder & CEO promotes a learning culture, and has herself participated in a number of programs to continue her own professional development, including the Latina Global Executive Leadership Institute at USC and Management Development for Entrepreneurs at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Looking forward to our next program with Beyond Strategy Partners, Inc! 📚
5. Supporting Our Local Community! We were honored to participate in the Facebook Career Connections Internship Program this past summer. It was a rewarding learning experience for us and our awesome intern, Hugo!
6. Dream-worthy Partnerships! We had to pinch ourselves when the Latino Restaurant Association selected our CEO to lead their end-of-year social media training in 2020. We continue to partner with organizations that educate and inspire us, including NAWBO, City Club Los Angeles, and the Inland Empire Women’s Business Center.
7. The #FlexYourInfluence Membership! We always knew we wanted to build a teaching community, as a “Done With You” option for business owners looking for education, inspiration and accountability for their marketing. We finally did it! And the best is yet to come.
8. The Podcast! We launched the #FlexYourInfluence Podcast and recorded 20 episodes! Topics range from best practices and misconceptions around social media, to ways to avoid burnout and spark creativity. Margaret brings her own unique perspective to every episode, expertly balancing education and humor to make modern marketing accessible to all who listen. 🎙
9. Passport to Travel! From Disneyland to New York City, Oregon to Austin, this team loves to travel. We find inspiration from exploring new places, and strive to bring that energy and unique perspective to our work. So whether we’re on the go for business (WorkPLAYce) or taking a break to recharge, travel is central to the SocializeLA culture and our brand values. ✈️
10. The Planner! We designed our very own #FlexYourInfluence Master Planner to enable modern marketers to “intentionally create the bridge between sales + marketing.” (Available in print and digital form for 2022!)
11. Giving Back! We are dedicated to giving back to the communities that helped us grow. One of our favorite traditions during the holiday season is supporting The Stallings Elementary Giving Tree in Corona, CA. 🎁
12. Leveling Up Our Operations! Part of “growing up” as a company has meant leveling up our internal operations to better serve our team members, and by extension our clients. We redesigned our internal systems and processes, and documented our standard operating procedures. We are committed to the details, and will be launching our “7 Points of Excellence” checklist soon as a new resource for our Done-For-You clients!
13. Surviving and Thriving! SocializeLA was selected as a Hispanic Lifestyle 2018 Survived and Thrived Business Honoree. Margaret shared her story of the early days of starting this business, and how she overcame many surprises and challenges: “I survived, I thrived, and continue to rise.  And I’m helping others along the way!” ❤️

We hope you enjoyed our journey down memory lane, and encourage you to take time this holiday season to celebrate your own personal and professional wins.

Cheers to the next 13 years (and the 13 after that!) 🎊

~ Faryn & The SocializeLA Team