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anne mauney
January 29, 2020

2020 Intentions + Word of the Year

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I always love reading about new year intentions/”word of the year” type posts on other blogs, and yet I realized I’ve never written one myself! 

I’m a great “do-er” – I love a to-do list and I get a lot of satisfaction from checking things off a list. 

This “go-go-go” mentality definitely means I get a lot done. But one thing I haven’t been great at with my business is sitting down and taking the time to think strategically; giving myself the space to come up with a vision/plan for where I want things to go in the future.

I don’t usually stop moving long enough to see where those thoughts would take me!

dc running blogger

When I first started my blog in 2009 (whoa), it was just for fun. Sure, I thought it would be great to eventually make some money from it, but I basically just had a blast posting all sorts of random and quirky, unpolished posts with terribly lit food photos, and sharing my adventures in going back to school to become an RD, training for my first half marathon and then marathon, etc. 

My blog and business have continued to grow over the years, but I haven’t spent enough time reflecting on where I want this to go, or how I can be more strategic about the content that I’m posting.

Then I had Riese, and my business took a backseat – something I did purposefully and was incredibly grateful to have the ability to do – so that I could focus on my daughter. I’ve been keeping the lights on, so to speak, but I certainly haven’t been giving my business the attention or time that it would need to really grow and thrive.

Maybe it’s because Riese is 2 now and I have a little more mental energy/space to think about things strategically, or maybe it’s because I’ve been really inspired by other bloggers I know that are hiring team members and massively growing their businesses.

Either way, I decided it was time to take a break from the nonstop to do list crossing and give myself a minute to think about where I want this blog to go, and how I want to run my business – and potentially, hopefully, grow my business – this year.

anne mauney

I’ve been thinking about this a lot for the past few weeks, and the conclusion I’ve come to is that I feel ready for a change.

A big change that feels scary because it’s a bit of a gamble, but I think it’s well past time – and honestly I wish it’s something I had done sooner.

What is that change, you ask?

I’ve decided I’m ready to bring another person into my business! 

I’ve spent the past decade more or less working alone. I’ve been lucky to collaborate with others for some of the products I’ve created (my Nutrition for Runners program and my Joyful Eating program), and I was also extremely lucky to find an amazing contractor (hi Jackie, you rock!) who has been helping me virtually with my recipe development and food photography since 2013, when she originally joined me as an intern.

But everyone I’ve collaborated with has been virtual, and on a limited/super part-time basis, and as an extrovert, I’ve always really craved the energy that comes from having someone to collaborate with.

I love running my own business, and I love being able to make my own decisions with my brand. But I feel I have lost a lot of excitement and potential business opportunity by always being solo.

I am my most energetic and creative when collaborating and bouncing ideas off of others. Mastermind groups have certainly helped, but I’m ready for something more. 

anne mauney

My word for 2020?

GROWTH. 

Growth feels applicable on many levels, both personal and professional.

I want to continue to grow as a mother and wife.

I want to continue to grow and deepen my relationships with friends. 

And in business, I want to do something that I haven’t super actively tried to do in a long time: I want to grow this blog.

My big blog redesign that I’ve been mentioning for the past year is finally (fingers crossed) getting super close to being ready to launch, so that’s a big step here. (Shout out to Emily, my virtual contractor who has been painstakingly tagging all my recipes into different categories so the amazing recipe search function on my new website will actually work!)

But the other big thing I want to do this year is hire someone (hopefully local) to be a big part of my team!

Imagine me not alone in the photo below… 😉

anne mauney

There are a lot of things on the back end of my blog that I know I should be doing to help grow my site – specifically focusing on SEO and optimizing old content.

I’m sitting on a treasure trove of 10 years of content, but a lot of it isn’t getting seen anymore, and I’d like to change that. 

I’m looking to hire a local content + SEO specialist who will help me to grow the blog, particularly from a traffic perspective. I’m also hoping we can work together in person on a weekly basis to generate fresh ideas for content, and to be more strategic with what I’m sharing and re-sharing. 

I’m excited to see where the business goes this year – thank you guys for joining me on this journey!

Do you have a word of the year? What is it and why?

Curious to read more about the business of blogging? Check out this post: How I Make Money as a Blogger. 

—

Photography credit: Rachel EH Photography

- anne
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32 comments
  • Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
    January 29, 2020 · 9:21AM:
    That is exciting that you are looking to hire someone! I hope you find someone who is an excellent fit and helps you grow your business. It's nice to be in a 'growth' mindset. It's hard to be in that mindset in the needier stages of having a child but I can see how it's more possible now that Riese is a toddler. I feel like I'm at that stage now, too. My career is pretty stable right now and I have decided I want to be an individual contributor and not climb the ladder at work, so I'm focusing my energy on making more time for things like working out. I really struggled to fit that in since becoming a mom but it feels more possible now that I have a toddler.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 29, 2020 · 1:03PM:
      That's awesome - glad to hear you are finding more energy and space, too.
      Reply
  • Laurie January 29, 2020 · 10:46AM:
    I think this is so awesome and what a wonderful word for 2020. Yours is the only blog I read consistently (every post) and refer to over and over. I love your mix of personal and professional and your recipes ROCK! Many have become staples in our household. I know you, your business and your blog are going to grow into a fruitful and abundant garden. Thanks for all you do Anne. On a completely other note..... A while back in a post you joked about whether or not you had any hand with creating Riese because she looks just like Matt. Many of the pictures you post she does look exactly like Matt. When I saw the repost of the picture of you in the blue dress sitting outside with your computer in this post, I literally took a double take as it was Riese as a grown up. It's been a joy to watch that little nugget of yours grow and blossom. Have a wonderful day.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 29, 2020 · 1:04PM:
      I'm so glad to hear you are enjoying my blog, Laurie! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know. :) And that's interesting about the blue dress photo! It's so crazy to think about what Riese will look like all grown up... I can't imagine it!
      Reply
  • Diane January 29, 2020 · 10:48AM:
    That’s really exciting, Anne! Sounds like a great change for both you personally and for your business. Best of luck in the hiring process - I’m sure there’ll be a ton of qualified people in the area. Looking forward to seeing what’s next!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 29, 2020 · 1:04PM:
      Thank you Diane, I appreciate the support! :)
      Reply
  • Ashley January 29, 2020 · 10:56AM:
    Congrats! So happy for you and excited to see how you can grow your blog and business with the additional help, especially with a toddler running around. I've picked up and dropped numerous blogs over the year, but yours is still one of my favorites. Thanks for all of your inspiration!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 29, 2020 · 1:05PM:
      Thank you Ashley! :)
      Reply
  • The Many Thoughts of a Reader
    January 29, 2020 · 10:59AM:
    Sounds like an exciting plan!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 29, 2020 · 1:05PM:
      Thanks! Hoping I get some great applicants!
      Reply
  • Tori L January 29, 2020 · 11:46AM:
    This is so exciting and I’m delighted for you!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 29, 2020 · 1:05PM:
      Thanks Tori!
      Reply
  • Kori
    January 29, 2020 · 3:15PM:
    This is very exciting, and I wish you the very best! Excited to follow along and watch you grow. <3
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 30, 2020 · 11:19AM:
      Thank you for your support, Kori, I always really appreciate it!
      Reply
      • Kori
        January 30, 2020 · 11:31AM:
        You're welcome! <3
        Reply
  • Jamie January 29, 2020 · 3:57PM:
    Congratulations on your growth plans and look forward to your blog success! Every journey starts with a single step and your a runner with a bright future. Wishing you all the best. My 2020 word is create. Why? I am a foodie and want to take my passion for food by passing it along by starting my own blog. I have spent weeks reading your tips and bought books on How to Blog, WordPress for beginners and feel inspired from you blogs to prepare for the leap! Look out 2020 here we go and now what the heck do I call it? Thanks Anne for your inspirational blogs that influenced me to take a chance on something I love to do!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 30, 2020 · 11:19AM:
      I love this! How exciting - deciding a name for a blog is definitely the hardest part of getting started... let me know when you get it up and running, would love to check it out!
      Reply
      • Jamie January 30, 2020 · 4:08PM:
        Will do and thank you for your support! Have a great SB Sunday and any thoughts on healthy food choices for the game?
        Reply
        • Anne
          January 30, 2020 · 7:48PM:
          Ah, yes! I have a whole blog post with my favorite Healthier Super Bowl Sunday apps: Healthy Super Bowl Sunday Snack Recipes.
          Reply
          • Jamie January 31, 2020 · 3:12PM:
            Anne, Thank you for the link and your Spicy Hummus Queso Dip sounds amazing. I am going to alter it a bit for more of a sauce but this is a perfect topping for my ground lamb nachos (currently creating the recipe today) something different than traditional beef nachos. Have a great weekend
            Reply
            • Anne
              January 31, 2020 · 3:17PM:
              Awesome, that sounds like it will be delicious! Let me know how it goes. :)
              Reply
  • Elle
    January 29, 2020 · 6:49PM:
    Yay so excited for you and fANNEtasticfood’s next chapter! XO Gran
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 30, 2020 · 11:18AM:
      Thanks girl! p.s. Come run the half marathon with me!! I miss you :)
      Reply
  • Kris S January 30, 2020 · 10:13AM:
    Super exciting news!! I hope you find a good match :D Excited to see the blog continue to rock!
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 30, 2020 · 11:18AM:
      Thanks Kris! I always appreciate your support :)
      Reply
  • TrackBuddy January 30, 2020 · 11:20AM:
    Congratulations!!! I remember feeling very similar when my older daughter turned 2. I really love that age, and I loved it not only for seeing the child emerge as more of a "real person" but also for being able to be more of a "real person" again yourself.
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 30, 2020 · 12:19PM:
      Very true. Thank you!
      Reply
  • Kath
    January 30, 2020 · 8:05PM:
    Growth is a great WOTY! I’m right there with ya sista
    Reply
    • Anne
      January 31, 2020 · 2:03PM:
      Yes! I'm excited to chat more consistently this year to help support one another!
      Reply
  • Roadrunner January 31, 2020 · 4:59PM:
    This is very exciting, Anne! It is also a bit bold, and I'm sure a tiny bit intimidating, too. It will be great to watch how you move forward, capitalize on the content you have developed, expand readership, and so on. And my one word for the year ahead? Fitness!
    Reply
    • Anne
      February 1, 2020 · 2:27PM:
      Thank you!
      Reply
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about Anne

anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

When I’m not writing or cooking for fannetastic food, you can find me running, coaching nutrition clients, or on an adventure with my family. Feel free to reach out - I'd love to hear from you!

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