This week I have tried to put pen to paper to write you all a letter to say thank you for this year and I have found it so hard to find the words each time I sit down to write it. This year we have so much to be grateful and thankful for, so much to celebrate but boy has it been a hard year.
Firstly THANK YOU!
Honestly, we could not do what we do without you. Every visit to our store or website, like on a Facebook or Instagram post, watching our videos, and buying a pair of shoes or a new dress, or even a pair of earrings means the world to us.
I feel so honored to know that we have had some of you that have been shopping with us now for 13+ years. I learnt from watching my mum in her store for years that your customers become your friends and that is so true for us.
Now to our amazing team- Bernie, Andrea, Ashleigh, Katie, Zoe, Brittany, Carla, Drew, Ella, and our newest recruit Shae- Thank you for every bit of energy you have put into Big On Shoes, you ladies are absolutely amazing!
Now to wrap up 2022 (and boy and I am glad we are at the end)
In the 14 years since we started Big On Shoes, I don’t think there has been a harder year. The ups and downs of retail in 2022 have brought me to tears, made me angry, made me laugh (when I have no other emotions left), and taught me how much of a fighter I am when it gets tough.
Why has it been tough? I can’t put my finger on any one reason, this year in so many ways has just had so many impacts on every element – supply chain issues, the growing changes in e-commerce and selling online, refitting our new retail space and making the move in the first half of year (not much sleep was had there), throw in turning 40 and your body deciding that you have reached that age where it is going to start testing you in ways you were not prepared and you have a beautiful year of pure chaos.
But the one thing my mum and business coaches have always told me is to celebrate more. So here is my top highlights…
- We purchased our own building and Toby (the amazing renovating husband) completed renovation number 8 and we moved into our new space in June and it has created the best environment for us all to work in each day
- Our team has grown, changed and gotten a little smaller and then bigger – we have watched people move onto new challenges and we are 100% in their corner cheering them on, we have had new staff join our team and some staff change roles- but honestly you could not wish for a better group of people to work with every day.
- We welcomed baby Charlie (okay maybe this is Katie’s highlight but Charlie is the newest Big On Shoes Baby and he has so much love going his way)
- We shipped more shoes than ever to New Zealand! This has been a big goal of ours for years to try and share the Big On Shoes love across to NZ and slowly and surely we are spreading the word.
- I was honoured to receive the Inspiring Women in Isaac award at the International Women ‘s Day event in Moranbah and truly thank whoever nominated me for this (I will find out one day)
- We secured new brands with lower price points in bigger sizes – yep shoes under $100 that go up to size 14 and 15 to offer a more inclusive selection (actually this should be point 1 as I feel I have been fighting for this for the last 10 years)
- Our brands are working with us more and more with sustainable packaging to ensure we are being as kind to the planet as possible.
Over the last 5 years I have been lucky enough to do work with the Meta team in Sydney and one of the best things I have taken away was around creating vision boards and also really clear goals for the year ahead. Even with all the sh!t that happened this year when I look at my vision board, I can see I actually was able to achieve so many of them and I have not even noticed or given myself the chance to celebrate those wins.
So for 2023…
- I am going to celebrate the wins – the big and more importantly the small
- I am going to focus on the fun at Big On Shoes, with our incredible team that continues to lift me up on the hard days and create the best place I have ever worked
- I am allowing myself some space in my calendar so that every single day is not jammed packed with meetings, events and work.
So now I want to hear from you…
I am super keen to find out if you have any big goals for next year – please feel free to reply as I would love to find out from you what you are planning for 2023 (I can't wait to read them).
I am going to…..
I hope you all have the best end to 2022 and are with your family and each day is filled with lots of laughter but I know for everyone that is not the case so if you need help at any point please reach out to a mate or Lifeline on 13 11 14 and remember it is okay to not be okay.
And lastly, for those that have made it to the bottom of this email, our Silly Season sale is now happening on the website. We are not shouting it from the rooftop until Boxing Day but if you read my rambling words here you def deserve to know before anyone else.
The Merriest of Christmas to you and thank you for this year
Love Melissa
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