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2021 was, without a doubt, a year full of ups and downs. But looking back at what I accomplished and what you helped me achieve, I can confidently say that this year was just full of blessings. So, thank you.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to a friend, and one of the things she mentioned that really stuck with me was milestones. Like, what are some of the wins from this year that would be worth sharing with the audience? Now, talking about wins is one thing, but my worry was, what if people perceive that as bragging? I admit I wasn’t comfortable with that, but then I thought to myself, what do I have to lose? No matter what you do, everybody will still have an opinion about it. And bragging will always be bragging for whoever thinks it’s bragging.

Every year I try to round up and highlight the top sessions for the year based on download numbers. However, in the spirit of innovation, this year will be a little different. Instead of the top shows from this year, I’ll go a step further and talk about my wins as well as the things I should have done better this year. So, we’ll have the 9 top shows, the 9 things I should have done better, and the 9 notable wins from 2021. In total, the 27 moments of reflection.  

The 9 Things I Should Have Done Better – 10:34

1. Be a little more intentional about resting.

2. Ate smarter and healthier.

3. Hired more of the right people.

4. Made better investment decisions.

5. Tracked and documented business and personal milestones.

6. Been more mindful of integration with life and business.

7. Been honest with myself, especially when things aren’t working out 

8. Worked to be a little more assertive 

8. Set clearer boundaries

The 9 Things I Celebrated This Year – 19:24

1. Nearly quadrupled my annual revenue.

2. Landed my highest-paying speaking gigs this year.

3. Became the inaugural speaker for the First-Generation Student Association at The University of North Carolina-Chapel.

4. Launched a first-of-its-kind store, The First-Gen Shop.

5. Elected to the Board of Directors for FLIP National

6. Released my third publication–an empowerment journal for first-generation college graduates.

7. Secured two federally-registered trademarks (Dr. Eve® and Evingerlean Worldwide®) and applied for two more.

8. Made the inaugural 20 Black Women Entrepreneurs to Watch list by BlkWomenHustle.

9. Continued my role (going on three years) as an adjunct professor of higher education.

The 9 Most Downloaded Shows – 31:15

1. Session 146: 3 Reasons Why Failure is Good with Eve Hudson, Ph.D.

2. Session 153: 6 Ways to Pay for Graduate School with Shymika Stephenson-Davison

3. Session 155: Overcoming Obstacles and Making A Difference with Josh Farris

4. Session 147: How Virtual Mentors Can Inspire Success with Dr. Anthony Parker-Gills

5. Session 152: Why Healthy Marriages Matter with Shonice Montgomery & Dominique Brown

6. Session 162: What to Pay Attention to When Building Relationships with Keisha Bickham

7. Session 176: Why First-Gens Don’t Have to Quit Their Job to Start a Business with Nicki Bond

8. Session 148: How We All Benefit from an Inclusive Society with Dr. T’Airra Belcher

9. Session 157: Why You Need to Tell Your Story with Richard Reyes