Thank you all for visiting my blog! I haven’t posted much, but I have so much I’d like to catch you all up on, and feel free to reach out about anything going on with you. Below, you’ll find my recap of the past year, and I’d also say I’m thankful to be sponsored by UGG available at Zappos in this photo beneath, with my lovely and super comfy slippers. Now, let’s get on the with show, folks!
First of all, Happy Holidays! Since Thanksgiving has been so recent, I’ve been doing my best to practice gratitude, even amidst mayhem both in amazing ways and some in destructive ways. Do you want the good news or bad news first? How about let us start with the good news (since most of you won’t want to read everything, let’s be honest).
Good News: I’ve found amazing partnerships this past year, both in @catherinewanders and also @socialperkz, my influencer marketing agency. I am just so thrilled to be my own boss, make my own hours, allow myself to enjoy life, see family and friends, date, travel whenever, wherever. I am determined to succeed and partner with companies that align with myself and my demographic (millennials and beyond).
A goal I made for 2019 was to find more partnerships with travel and tourism companies, and I am so thankful to have found it. To staying at luxury condos and hotels, to flying in helicopters over Manhattan, to going on a sunset yacht cruise through Istanbul, has been surreal. I am just so thankful that I found my niche in the travel world, finally. I have always thought to myself, that if I spend the most money on something in my life, that I’d like to master how to make that part of my career, and here you go, I’ve figured some of that out! Fashion, Travel, Lifestyle, Dining, Health and Wellness. I’m just really appreciative that my drive and understanding of where I stand is clear to those in the industry as well.
I’m extremely thankful that I can hire a team of likeminded individuals, who all understand me, and work remotely, live a similar life that I do, and we can all work together and bring each other up. Bonus? THEY ARE WOMEN! WOO! I have come to love working and supporting women, as women have also supported me. Although, I do not discount men at all, it just depends what you’re good at in life, and social media influencers, on average, are more female. The reason I outsource, is because I love to live a life of freedom, and when you realize your worth, you realize that happiness comes first, your time becomes precious, even if you’re just relaxing. That being said, I work strategically and realize when to turn the burner on or off, and for my mental health, I turn it off a lot. There will be more partnerships for Social Perkz starting 2020, so stay tuned!
I believe that family, friends, loved ones, are our true center, we mustn’t lose that in our lives, unless someone has crossed you to the point of no return. Know your limits, know your boundaries, know when to say “never again”.
Bad News:
Let’s start with business. I have been in the social media marketing agency for 6-7 years now. I started my business almost 2 years ago. I have to have both my instagram and Social Perkz, because the industry shifts marketing budgets to either influencers or agencies at different times. So, I have to do both, because if the market crashes and all my eggs are in one basket, I’m left with a very difficult task of building back up. I’ve had to learn that some months will be amazing and some will be a flop, and I have to be prepared for that. In a sense, it is similar to any sales business.
As some of you may know, 2019 has taken many turns. I went through a divorce (which isn’t over yet, PLEASE SOON!), got piled up with so many lawyer fees I couldn’t even imagine. As of now, it seems I’ve lost a life with someone, two homes, two dogs, two cars, and much more. POOF it’s gone. I hope that he can come to his wits and realize that I’ve also devoted my earnings, and my life, to building a life together, and do what is fair. But you know what? I feel strong, empowered, and ready to take on the world. I thought I was going to live a life of singleness for quite some time. Little was I aware, I was wrong, and I ended up in a new relationship soon after I left the marriage.
Good News:
I can live anywhere in the world, since everything I do is from my camera, laptop, or iPone. After separating from my husband, I ended up moving back with my family in the Boston area. I decided to start dating for fun, to lift my spirits up, about 2 weeks later. After being single for a month, I was about to embark on a one month journey around the world. Specifically, Vancouver, Taiwan, Tokyo and Kyoto, Seoul, LA, Vegas, San Francisco, Napa, NYC.
Relationships:
This year, I’m proud to say I’ve helped two friends get out of abusive relationships, taken from experience. I have researched about what are warning signs of abuse and why people stay in relationships that are toxic. If you’re with anyone you might think is abusive, please read this article here. Those who want to understand why people stay in abusive relationships, here’s another interesting article that reveals the chilling truth.
To continue my relationship story with the new fellow, I met him the day before I left for my month travel journey. Our second date was in SF and Napa Valley for a wine tasting weekend. We talked every single day while I was away, and we decided it would be the perfect end to my travel spree. When we got back to Boston, naturally we just kept seeing each other, and we decided to make it official. His place was more convenient than living at my parents’ home, so it’s been a nice to feel like a city girl in Boston with a view over Beacon Hill, Back Bay, and the Charles river. I work from home, so a view always cheers me up and makes me smile any time I look at it.
It has been invigorating to feel love and be loved. Intimacy, cuddles, long walks and talks, it all feels wonderful to be coupled. However, we’ve decided to take a step back, make sure we know what we’re doing before making any commitments, and see how we can improve ourselves. There are ups and downs in any relationship. Some people never fight, but some people are just quieter when it comes to their emotions. We are not quiet, either of us, so we need to listen and improve, and so at this point, that’s where we stand. I guess in a sense we are “complicated”. Wherever destiny leads is where we will go, but for now, we don’t know our futures. It’s a great thing to take a chill pill in expectations, especially when considering making a life commitment or not.
Thank you all for taking the time to read ❤
Here are some podcasts I’ve done this year:
Alexis Quiterio: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catherine-wagner-how-being-off-your-phone-creates-better/id1469424090?i=1000446202983
Lance Johnson: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1454395280?ls=1&mt=2
Michael Potorti: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/966-craft-beer-storm-29999356/episode/episode-69-catherine-wagner-52123069/
Catherine Wanders 