Celebrating more years than I thought

I have been so busy over the past year. Work has just kept on coming, and I have welcomed it with open arms.

In the past few months, though, I’ve been excited because the deadlines began to ease up. I caught up on some me time. Took a few vacations. Cleaned my closets. Reorganized my house. Repotted some plants. All that stuff. You know.

Then, I carved out some time to reflect on my 25th anniversary of launching Beetle Press. Way back in 1998.

I had a 25th anniversary logo created months ago, and I printed it on t-shirts for my husband and myself, but that was about it. I didn’t have the time or the mental bandwidth for more. I was determined to create a little 25th anniversary marketing campaign.

I sat down to dig out some memorabilia and start doing some planning to celebrate 25 years as a business owner.

I found my first Beetle Press business card with its clip art of a ladybug on a leaf. I found my first newsletters, which were printed and mailed back then, and I read through lots of thank you notes from Westfield State University interns I’ve had over the past few decades.

One of them said, “Thank you for letting me see all of the hard work, frustration, and amazing end results that go into running a business. I will be taking what I have learned at Beetle Press with me as I continue my journey through life.”

It took me back to read this note and all the others and put faces to names and remember projects and services from so long ago.

I read some of the great feedback I received from clients, people I’d interviewed for stories and readers of local publications I wrote for. I remembered assignments long forgotten.

Then, I stumbled on the newspaper coverage of Beetle Press’ 20th anniversary. I sent out a press release back then, and it was picked up in the Daily Hampshire Gazette, the Springfield Republican and BusinessWest.

Oops, I realized as I read. All the clips were dated 2018. That means 2024 is actually my 26th anniversary.

Right. I had that logo made in September 2023, thinking I’d create a little anniversary campaign and then, wham, I began some interim work for a local newspaper in New Hampshire that was woefully short of staff. Time got away from me until the middle of March, when that paper was in much better shape and no longer needed my help.

I’d forgotten we were in a whole new year. My 26th year, to be precise.

That’s fine. Over the remaining months in 2024, I’ll be posting on social media to celebrate the 26th anniversary of Beetle Press.

Because I love my work. I’m privileged to still be able to do it 26 years after I got started, and I’m thankful for the clients I am working with now who bring me new things to research and explore.

Happy 26th, Beetle Press, and thank you to each of you who follow my work.