2012 Recap: The Year in Pix and Bits
So, some of you may know that last Friday I hosted the Year in Review for both live stream watchers and some fine ladies at my place in Richmond, VA. In attendance in person were Racheal Cook of the Yogipreneur, Emily Hudspeth of Money Making Makeup Artist, and Jennifer Koch of Adventure Often. Part of our day was a guided meditation followed by a new way to look at the past year. After we completed that in person, Emily gave us a great idea: she does anannual recap of her year on her blog- month by month.
So here’s mine.
January-
I got to attend an amazing workshop with Joanna Haymore- a craniosacral therapist and master healer. It was all about the subtlety of touch in healing. And my mom attended too!
For someone who has been teaching yoga for eight years, this was a great introduction to the power of lighter touch. Joanna is bomb- somehow attending her retreat was energizing as opposed to draining after 3 days of information and learning, and her scientific rigor was astounding.
I also hosted an Epiphany party! I love Epiphany- it’s the last of the 12 days of Christmas and is really about discovery and realization of that which is already innately known. Epiphany is January 6.
Also got to appear on Let’s Talk Live! A talk show in Washington DC.
February
I hosted the All You Need is Love Valentine’s day party at my loft in RVA. 
I hosted back to back parties for the Magnetism Factor in DC and NYC on Feb 13 and Feb 14 for Social Media Week too!
This one is from SMW- and Patti Stanger was calling me on Valentine’s Day trying to get a date. Yeah. That’s the millionaire matchmaker. Calling me at 11 pm on Valentines. No joke.
Also met a woman, one Laura Garnett (who is not a matchmaker), who wanted to set me up with someone…
End of the month we had our quarterly mastermind of good times with Alejandra Costello, Kacy Paide and Racheal Cook. It’s where we brainstorm, drink wine, and I believe get pedicures. All in the name of growing our biz!
March
I actually met the man in question on a blind date! We went on our first date in NYC. And our second in NYC. And our third. In Richmond, VA. I also started getting serious about something else: LifeShifted was ready to be born and the Magnetism Factor was in for a little shakeup.
At the very beginning of the month, I attended Lisa Sassy’s Event Profit Secrets, made some new friends and realized the key to profitable events. I’ll share it on a video soon 
Promise! San Diego was gorgeous after so much time in NYC. This is me and Jimbo Marshall at Lisa’s. He was working but I made sure he took some time to play.
As a dedicated UVA alum, I love to go back any time I can. My Lawn friends and I descended on Cville in March for a gorgeous wedding. It was a perfect weekend.
April
Ah, my birth month. I didn’t make a big deal of the big day this year, but it was delightful to spend time with my mom and sis in law on my bday in Richmond doing girl things. Headed back to NYC for a conference, another round of dates with my new man, and worked on LifeShifted.
Speaking of the new man…
At the conference, I got to shake my booty, make new friends (holler Jennifer Urezzio) and gear up for what was to be a transformational four months. 
That’s me and Laura Garnett rocking the house with Carmel!
Also had a stunning time in the Outer Banks with my mom and her co-worker (and my new friend) Laura.
May
Ah May was an interesting. I was in panic mode a lot. I got to go to Fire Island though, and that was bomb.
Also made the decision to live with my man in NYC come summer time. WHOA! Together we get to smooth out our rough edges too. And meanwhile, business was shifting…though that’s what it’s supposed to do!
The fun part was a stunning wedding of a dear friend from college. It was out in Western Virginia, full of wonderful people, and just a lot of fun.
June
June was all about the LifeShifted Virtual Retreat. It was ballsy to launch a brand with an event…and in hindsight I think it was smart. And exhausting. We interviewed peeps for 3 days straight. Live. For serious. If you didn’t catch it, I am going to upload some of the interviews to youtube in the coming weeks.
July
Started with a delightful sojourn to Costa Rica (yes, with my Man). It’s somewhere I had always wanted to go and on the heels of a big event and a big move, CR was the perfect place to relax.
I was also a newbie (again, third tour of duty here) to NYC. And it was really really hot. We made trips to Fire Island to jump in the ocean. I worked most days and chilled out at night. Got my routine more or less down.
Also started the Morning Whip with Erika Lyremark (highly recommended for you fancy biz ladies out there), and did a coaching marathon to get back in touch with why I do what I do.
August
Ha. Another hot month in NYC, but full of fun times. More Fire Island. And nesting in NYC. We went to Ikea three times and survived.
From a biz perspective, I got to really let things fall into place with LifeShifted. TheMo’Mentum Coaching program was a hit! With Magnetism, I continued working with private clients 1:1 and honing my methodology and language around the process.
Our friends Jocelyn and Troy were in from out of town and did a hugely fun photo scavenger hunt in Williamsburg. Then we did a retro glam photo shoot in Coney Island with a swimmie suit from Malia Mills.
Finally, also took a last minute trip to Hong Kong! Yep! I had so much fun seeing my Asian brother (Chang works for Airbnb in the Asia Pacific region) and wandering around the city. Some days I saw NO white people until I got back to my hotel. Their subway is air conditioned. And I loved all the bubble tea options. Every morning I went to this random community garden and did Tai Chi with the ladies. Then I had a green drink. Heaven. Justin and I also spent one day on a boat with his friends and motored to a restaurant that’s only accessible by boat.
A small child helped us choose our fish and waited on our table. He was adorable!
September
September, too, was magical. It began with an amazing stay at the 4 Seasons Santa Barbara with my mom and Laura and Pam. (They had a sales meeting. I worked from the hotel pool.)
The weather was stunning, the people were great and the pool? Unbelievable. I paddle boarded with two pairs of dolphins on either side of my board for the better part of an hour. (I am not making that up. Jaded locals on the beach were going nuts even.) I scored amazing vintage clothing from a resale shop in downtown SB. And I got to meet some Whipsters in person! Holler for Monica Park and Alana Sheeran. Yay! SB was great.
I realized that five years after I really embarked on the journey of building a biz that allows me to work from anywhere…it’s happened. And it’s only getting better!
At the end of the month, we had another mastermind- this time in Silver Spring MD at Spa de Kacy.
I think this pic says it all.
Here’s another one of us actually “working.” And by working I mean eating great nummies and drinking wine.
October
Typically one of my fave months of the year. Business is flowing. It’s so much fun to work with my clients, and the women (and occasional men) I get to meet and coach are really inspiring. I hosted a biz bombshell breakie at my place in NYC. This here is the funniest picture with Melissa Pharr...obvi not a glamour shot. Is she growing out of me? Maybe. 
Here’s a more normal picture with Diana Seo of B Spa Bar and Julie Hwang of Big City Little Sweets.
I think October was also when Sandy hit. We had no power for five days. It was unfun. I went to Bloomberg every day to have wifi and cell connectivity so I could keep working and it further underscored why I like to work from home. Flourescent lights and people talking all around me! It was nuts. I don’t understand how people in offices can get anything done.
We also discovered that we had spent nine days in a row together with our only breaks being client meetings or bathroom. That’s pretty amazing in my book!
November
Lots of fun work, more delightful people coming into my life, and I’m starting to get the hang of this virtual broadcasting thing!
Very proud of the broadcast Zero to Cash so go watch it on youtube if you haven’t seen it.
Took a little Thanksgiving getaway to the Dominican Republic. There are worse things. Justin’s house there is gorgeous of course! Something to be said for straight up R&R.
December
Ahhhh, now it’s my fave time of year. I just love the holidays. And this December was pretty special. My entire family (except my older bro and his wife bc they were sick) went to Vermont for a little early Christmas and ski vacation. Papa Fritsch brought us all ski gear and we had so much fun!
This is my little bro Charlie. We skied together the whole week so mad lift time gave us plenty of opportunity to chat. The rest of the fam was making delicious food or nursing colds, but we watched Christmas specials each night. Delightful!
Another scene from the Vermont vacay and it’s the perfect way to finish the year (we left for VT the day of the Newtown massacre)- remembering there is hope, faith and love. My message from God that things are gonna be ok has always been a rainbow. On that day we saw a double that is the most vibrant one I’ve ever laid eyes on. God bless 2012, and here’s to 2013. xxoo to you all!
P.S. Can’t help but feel it’s necessary to give a little shout out to some other peeps who’ve made my life magical this year: Vanessa Scotto, Brooke Thomas, Lauren Imperato, Victoria Prozan, Megan Flatt, Nichole Teering, Tina Chambers, Erika Lyremark, Christina Frei, Jalanda James and Luisa Raseij. Hope to see you more in 2013!
P.P.S. Also want to say what a delightful exercise it was to go through and remember the year this way. Sometimes I remember only the tough things…but my gosh how much fun, amazing people and gorgeous places were part of the journey. I feel like I’m pretty transparent about stuff and my challenges, and this coming year I want to be even more so. Thanks for your presence this year!!!
P.P.P.S. Please feel free to take this idea and run with it. Please link back and leave a link to your 2012 recap in the comments below! Thanks again Emily Hudspeth for the idear.