It’s interesting to see all the ‘what a year!!’ celebratory posts across my social feeds at the end of a challenging 2022.
As I enter my 48th year, I too reflect on a year to be proud of, but without being too gushing about how ‘great’ it was. That’s because, in many ways, it wasn’t. It’s ulimately been a good year, but parts of it came at some personal cost. I wouldn’t be true to myself if I suggested otherwise.
I’ve returned to conversations I had this time last year, feeling ground down by perma-crises that affected all of us. Whilst the initial panic of COVID subsided, we had no sense of what was coming in 2022. Having set up Distinctive in June, two Prime Ministers and six fiscal events later, it’s a wonder I’ve found time to write any blogs.
While I haven’t completed as many as I wanted to, those I published performed better than in 2021. They also helped me process events happening around me.
If anyone who stopped to read or share them found them useful too, that’s a bonus.
Here are the three posts that had the most views in 2022.
Three most read blogs
#3 Five place points from the Growth Plan
So much has happened since the disastrous (not so) mini budget that launched this plan. The Sunak government ditched many of the plan’s tax measures within weeks of its unveiling in September. This left many consultants and financial advisors scrambling to update their briefing material. We are no clearer about what’s coming having read them. And the plan stands as a monument to small state thinking that is surely now cast to the sidelines for the next decade. What ever happened to ‘build back better’?
#2 Why the public shouldn’t hate ‘comms’: an open letter to Matthew Parris
The Times’ columnist Matthew Parris wrote disparagingly about comms people in a piece about the state of the Tory party in July. It prompted me to write to him and publish the letter online. He replied to me the next day, acknowledging my points whilst adding: “I really do believe that parts of your industry are unaware of how inoculated the modern public now are to obvious comms.”
His comment assumes comms people can influence spinning Ministers, of course. It’s a theme I’ve covered a few times this year, on government comms, and on doing the right thing.
#1 Distinctive future for stand-out comms team
I published this a few days after Distinctive started trading in June. It was a big deal personally and people responded to it positively. I’m pleased it generated more interest than the Growth Plan write-up!
Thanks for stopping by
This year was a rollercoaster, defined by change and shaped by relationships. I learned a lot, about business, friendships and myself. Some of this I am only starting to process. I will return to parts of it in 2023.
I was unable to tell clients and colleagues about the change until after the deal to buy Social’s south west business was done. That was a ‘deep breath’ moment. I’m so thankful to those who know me for who I am for standing by me through this change.
I make no predictions about what to expect in 2023. beyond saying that most people I’ve spoken to about it think it will be tough. I approach it with good people around me, and optimistic about the opportunities facing us. We’ll still be here, campaigning for clients and agitating for a better way of doing things. There are plenty of challenges to grapple with which need decent comms support. There’ll be no shortage of things to do. We’re ready for it.
If you’ve been with us on the journey this year and have spent time across this blog, thank you.
I’ll leave you with a list of tunes compiled by the team at Distinctive which sums up their 2022. It’s been an honour working with them this year.
Hope to see you and work with you in 2023.