2014 – My Year In Review

At the end of each year, I think it’s healthy to look back on the past twelve months, and to appreciate the experiences that were enjoyed and the lessons that were learned.

To be honest, I didn’t think 2014 would even come close to how amazing I felt the year before.  For me, 2013 had been an amazing year. It was the year I really found my feet, the year my career took off, and I just couldn’t see 2014 matching that! Fortunately, it did, and I have a sneaky, though comforting, feeling that someone is looking over me!

You can read my year in review for 2013 here and 2012 here.

I can’t quite believe just how much my life has changed in the last 12 months. I was a part time office manager when I first set up my blog, and now here I am, with over 170,000 Facebook fans, 102,000 Instagram followers, and 1.1million blog readers a month – it just sounds so surreal, I still find it difficult to believe!

Literally SO MUCH has happened in the last twelve months.

Having book 2 hit the shelves in November 2014 and jump straight into the bestsellers list was such an exciting highlight for me… but the first cut is always the deepest, they say, and my first book will always feel like my baby.

I’m really excited to hear what the sales figures will be for book two, though I have heard it has sold double my first one did.

For me, it’s more about how it made people feel and if it helped anyone out there…. which judging by the emails and comments it has, that will keep me very happy.

The last twelve months saw me take the big leap into television work. I presented a number of styling slots on TV3’s breakfast show, Ireland AM, and since then, I have been offered a regular spot on the entertainment show, Xpose! How exciting!!!

My ambassador role with Crownbrush also went from strength to strength during 2014, and the year ended on a high with the SoSueMe limited edition brush set going on sale.

Crownbrush was my first ambassadorship role and it was genuinely a huge turning point for me, especially as they are a massive UK company, of whom I had been such a huge fan long before they approached me.

I had loved their brushes ever since a makeup artist friend of mine recommended them to me, so needless to say I’m extremely proud to have become their ambassador.

2014 was also a year of contests and nomination lists! Most importantly I won Ireland’s Best Blogger/Vlogger with Stellar Magazine at the Stelar Shine Awards in November – that was such an incredible award for me to win and I was SHOCKED when they called out my name. I was also voted as one of Ireland stop 5 stylish women in RSVP Magazine, and then I heard I was nominated for the title of Most Stylish Newcomer at the VIP Style Awards.

During the year, I was also voted Ireland’s Sexiest Woman by readers of The Sunday World Newspaper. No way did I expect to win that one! (Seriously, you should see me in the mornings! Haha!)

I travelled quite a lot in 2014 too. Earlier this year, Oasis invited me over to London to have dinner with Mollie King from The Saturdays, as she had just launched a fab collection in conjunction with the brand.

I had a great time chatting with Mollie. She was just so lovely to speak to. So down to earth, and a real girly girl.

Last year also marked Coco’s first photoshoot! The picture appeared on the front of the home section of Stellar Magazine!

I also got to see Beyonce live in concert! Myself and three others were guests of Viviscal, the brand responsible for those fab hair supplements, and they brought us to London for an exclusive Viviscal media event that was also being attended by lots of UK magazine editors. Afterwards we were whisked over to see Beyonce Live at the O2 right from our very own VIP suite! It was just SO cool! We were also transported to the O2 in cable cars, which was almost as amazing an experience as the concert! There’s nothing quite like the view of London at night!

When I wasn’t flying back and forth from London, I was making my way around Ireland holding SoSueMe workshops in various counties. The workshops were a huge success and I am still getting requests from readers to hold one in their county!

A MAJOR highlight for me this year was visiting the states for the very first time!

I attended New York Fashion Week and I also got to visit Carrie Bradshaw’s apartment, which, as you can imagine, was just the ultimate sight for a Sex and the City fan to see!

The whole trip was incredible and I am already planning on heading back!

It’s a nice thing to look back on your career to date, but I think it is particularly healthy to look back on what you have learned from your experiences.

For me there has been lots of things and I am going to share a few of these with you.

1. Money does NOT bring you happiness.

I always dreamt of owning Louboutins, a fancy car, a large wardrobe and amazing penthouse style apartment, but here’s the thing. Having all those things has not made me any any happier than I was two years ago when I was wearing €20 shoes, driving a bog standard Peugeot, and living in a tiny place in the inner city. I am still the same person, but I have learned that when you work hard and you can finally treat yourself to the nice things you’ve always wanted, it still won’t make you any happier on the inside.

My source of happiness comes from my friends, Dylan, my doggies, and my family. When I’m having a shit day, I surround myself with the people I love and it’s them that put the smile on my face, not the ‘things’. People bring you happiness. Self love and appreciation bring you happiness. If you are waiting for happiness to come from money and things, the only guaranteed result is disappointment.

2. A dog really is your best friend

CoCo and Harper bring me so much happiness. I can’t quite explain it. They are two of the most loving dogs, and each morning (well most mornings when there is no shit on the floor! Haha) they make me smile.

Being polar opposites, I love them for different reasons. Coco is so soft and sensitive, she literally won’t leave your side, whereas Harper is hyper, a little bit of a bully to CoCo but so entertaining and will not leave CoCo’s side.

It’s very cute to watch and I love them SO much. Who would have thought that two little animals could bring so much happiness? I never realised it until I had pets of my own. But don’t be fooled by their cuteness. They are a 24/7 job and as much as I love them, there are days where I could scream!

3. The ‘One’ will have a loving heart & a caring soul

I have dated a few guys over the years, some had the looks, others had the nice car and good job but none of that comes close to the one who has a loving, sensitive heart and a caring soul. Dylan for me is the best man (after my dad) that I have ever met.

Dylan is kind, caring, loving, understanding and has such a lovely nature. Many who meet him warm to his kind nature straight away and instantly like him. Dylan is fun, outgoing and most of all caring.

He is the most caring person I have ever been with, and, to me that is such an important characteristic in a person. Yes a man can ‘love’, and understand you, but, what if he doesn’t care for you? Care for you in a way he would lie down on a bed of nails for you – if it meant shielding your feet from the pain.

If a man doesn’t care for you, then in my opinion what is the point in being with that person? ‘Plain love’ isn’t always enough, but caring deeply is everything. They will think about you before they act and most of all, they would hate to hurt you intentionally or unintentionally and that is real love! From caring deeply for that other person brings intimacy, passion and commitment! I have a physical and emotional love for Dylan and I am so happy that I met him nearly 3 years ago!

My father has always been the best husband to my mother. They have a love that will never die and he cares for her in a way I have never witnessed a man care for a woman! He would go to hell and back for my mam and this is the kind of love I seek! To this day, 30 years later, they still have a love as if it was new! And that is the love myself and Dylan have for each other.

4. Learn to forgive

A hard one, but it has to be done. The saying “holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die” couldn’t hold more truth if it tried. We have all gone through an experience that has left us pretty bitter inside, but you can’t let that bitterness take over who you are and influence your thoughts. You must deal with it, accept what has happened and move on. Negativity breads negativity, and entertaining it will only make your own life worse. When it comes to forgiveness and the best way to do it, well I’m not quite sure what to to tell you, only that it does require time… but in saying that, life is too short to be bitter over something or someone. By forgiving someone/something, you free your own mind. So let those negative thoughts be gone and lets make 2015 a positive year to remember.

5. You must make time for yourself & delegate

This is something I have only be doing in the last two months. I finally hired a Personal Assistant, whom I literally couldn’t be without and thankfully she takes most of my stress away. By delegating and bringing someone else into your work life to help you, it works wonders.

I now get lie-ins, I can take a day off here and there which I NEVER did before, and, I have someone to lunch with during the day too… 😉 By taking time out for yourself, it helps clean your mind and you get to do things that genuinely make you happy on the inside. Yes doing what I do makes me so happy, but me time, away from the computer is very therapeutic.

It could be a walk with my dogs, lunch with my mam or a morning in bed… those are the little things that make me a more productive worker and I don’t get so stressed out of my mind like I used to. It’s a real weight off my shoulders and it has shown me how important it is to have some down time too. I hope to continue to do so this year… so I’ll keep you posted on how that is going! Haha! I’m the first to admit I’m a workaholic, but finally, I am taking more me time which feels amazing.

Overall, every day is crazy busy but so wonderful, and I don’t think I have ever been happier than I am right now.Look, as cheesy as this is going to sound, there is no other way of saying it… SoSueMe would be nothing without the readers and I am so thankful to each and every person who drops by the site, even if they only end up there by accident! Lol! Without you, the readers, there would be no SoSueMe.

I can’t thank you enough for all your fab emails, not to mention your lovely messages and comments on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. I’m not kidding when I say they mean so much to me. I’m going to feature a small extract from my book ‘What Happened Next’, which I think sums up just how much the SoSueMe readers mean to me.

“Just recently, for instance, I had a right horror of a day. It was one of those days that was so unbearable, it would be enough to convince a lifelong pioneer to open up the liquor cabinet and pour himself a whiskey! Well instead I opened up my emails, and one of them was from a SoSueMe reader. I swear to God, her message made my day. That one email alone managed to turn my totally horrific day into a positive one. She told me about how much SoSueMe had helped her especially when it came to regaining her confidence. Immediately, it reminded me of why I do what I do. SoSueMe is more than just a beauty and fashion blog; it’s about helping people find their inner-confidence and feel good about themselves again. It’s not medicine, it’s not changing the world, but you know what, if it helps brighten at least one person’s world, then I’m happy! Some people read the posts for entertainment, some read them for inspiration. I don’t mind what reason a person has for reading them as long as they get some enjoyment or benefit.”

Before I wrap up this post…. let me tell you this: Whoever said people are supposed to have their shit together by the time they turn 30 clearly were not aware of the millions of opportunities in the world! I turned 30 in October, and I feel as though I have only just found my feet in the past 18 months. So don’t worry kid, you’ll get there 😉 TRUST me.

Hello 2015……. Life is about to get exciting!

Much Love,

Sue x