21 Things We're Proud of for 2021 and What We Learned

It’s hard to believe we’re closing in on the end of 2021. This year continued to present its challenges but it also presented us with a number of opportunities and learnings.

As we reflect back on all we’ve accomplished and endured we’re sharing twenty one things we’re proud of. We hope you take the time to pat yourself on the back for all your #wins this year and set yourself up for success in 2022.  

1. We published a book!  Martha’s Vineyard Dining Sourcebook - our biggest accomplishment of the year was launching the Dining Sourcebook. The Island’s first-ever complimentary restaurant guide brought the print and digital worlds together by utilizing Flowcode technology to help visitors and residents alike explore and stay up to date on their favorite restaurants. We received such great feedback from both businesses and consumers alike, that we are about to start working on the 2022 Dining Sourcebook - so if you want to be a part of the process, reach out to us! 

   What we learned: It’s good to do something new. We didn’t realize last New Year’s that we’d be publishing a book in 2021 but here we are. We were also reminded of the value in collaboration, sticking to deadlines, and working outside the box.
   

2. We scored some free money honey! The Technology Grant was Awarded to Shored Up Digital among other businesses! The 2021 Tap Into Technology was funded through a Massachusetts Office of Business Development Regional Pilot Program grant, the Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket chambers of commerce, with support from the Town of Nantucket and Dukes County, and awarded grants on each Island to small businesses for the purpose of understanding their tech needs, developing and implementing the right technological solutions based on their industry, target customer, and stage of business for the purposes of growing their business. Nine grants were awarded on Martha's Vineyard, ranging from $3,500 to $7,500. Shored Up Digital received a grant that made it possible for us to invest in equipment, digital software, and more, to more effectively grow our business and serve our clients. 

   What we learned: You gotta play to win! We apply to everything the Chamber offers when we’re eligible and there’s so many resources out there for businesses, make sure to take advantage of them!
   

3. We won an award y’all!  MV business this year for the annual SCORE Small Business Awards. The SCORE Awards is an annual event that celebrates the outstanding achievements of America's small businesses. Equal parts ceremony, celebration, and entertainment, the SCORE Awards is the preeminent distinction in honoring and supporting small business in the U.S. At this event, they recognize the people and companies that have demonstrated unique vision, innovation, and achievement in support of America's economy and the small business community. What we learned: The power of small business defeats all odds. We are so thankful to have been honored with this award and continue to give back to the island by supporting as many small businesses as possible.
   

4. Marnely embraced TikTok! Tiktok became part of Marnely’s (and almost everyone else’s) everyday life. For those that think the platform is just teenagers dancing in their bedrooms, here’s a fun fact: TikTok generated an estimated $1.9 billion revenue in 2020, a 457% increase year-on-year. You can follow her personal Tiktok account here and also check out the Visit Martha’s Vineyard Tiktok account we are developing! 

   What she learned: Brands are stepping up to embrace the platform, realizing the buying power of the audience that views Tiktok is huge. It’s also become part of pop culture, with its trends specifically. Because of the platform’s organic reach potential, you can be an account with 2 followers and your first video can garner over 1 million views - because reach on Tiktok has nothing to do with your follower count like the other platforms, but by how relatable your content is. We recommend reading this Entrepreneur article here to get a better sense of the platform overall.
   

5. We adapted to new tools. As social media managers, a big part of the job is scheduling content for our clients. Previously we had been using Buffer, then we switched to Facebook Creator Studio, now we’re deep in the trenches of Facebook Business Suite, which is proving to be far more intuitive than we thought.

   What we learned: Everything becomes easier once you give it time and practice. Don’t expect to learn something new overnight. Remember that spending your time now is an investment in your more efficient future self. But also, only take the time to adapt to those tools that really help ease your pain points. You don’t need to try everything!
   

6. We got comfortable on Instagram Lives because we went live every week (for part of the year anyway ;). One thing we tell our clients time and time again is to show up on social media if they want to see more engagement. Your audience wants not only to see your face, but they want to be presented with valuable content that either informs or entertains.
   What we learned: We’re actually pretty entertaining on camera together, which makes us laugh and want to be more on Live because we know we offer both valuable content and entertainment. We’re also reminded by our insights that the more we use the features within Instagram, the more Instagram rewards you with reach and views.
   

7. We took time off. Marnely took the entire month of November off. She read 10 books, took a lot of naps and caught up with family and friends in Miami, Boston, and Atlanta. If you want Marnely’s reading list - send us a DM on Instagram! Angela lived out of an RV for six weeks, traveled to 4 National Parks, 8 State Parks and 23 states, all while keeping the Shored Up ship afloat along the way. 
   What we learned: It is important to give yourself a break. Your best ideas will not come when you are a hamster on a wheel just trying to get through the day. You need the mental space to strategize and fuel your soul. One of Marnely’s favorite Instagram accounts to follow is The Nap Ministry, check them out. Angela also learned how important it is to travel with a portable monitor if you want to be as productive on the road as you are in your office.
   

8. We hosted our first Press Trip. In partnership with the MV Chamber of Commerce and Shorelines Illustrated we hosted six fabulous female content creators earlier this month during Christmas in Edgartown and we can’t wait to do it again. By bringing other creators to Martha’s Vineyard, we were able to effectively show this special place off to thousands of readers and followers that can further help support the Martha’s Vineyard economy with their future travel plans and purchasing power. If you’re a local business interested in partnering with New England based influencers let us know!
   What we learned: It is all about community, we knew this if course, but we can’t be reminded of it enough. By networking and building community we can better support our clients, our Island, and the future of our business. It’s important to get outside your business and connect with others who can help you grow. If you’re looking for a great networking opportunity and an excuse to get off the island in March be sure to check out our friend Kim’s conference happening March 29-30th in Newport, Rhode Island: The New England Coastal Creative Conference - we will be there!
   

9. We expanded our team and as our client roster. Like most small business owners we take on a lot of work. Our work requires a lot of time. This year, we recognized that if we want to grow in a strategic way we need to delegate those parts of our work that are better served being done by others so we can focus on creating more relationships and bringing in new business. Thanks to Amber Hayes, Kay Frank, and Kristina Prout we’ve been able to do just that. 
   What we learned: It’s really hard to delegate, but once you can start to let things go and trust in the people you surround yourself with, you are free to spend more of your time the way you actually want to spend it.
   “Deciding what not to do is just as important as deciding what to do.” - Jessica Jackley
   

10. We worked alongside the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce through a busy year - and as the year ends, we say goodbye to our fearless leader, Nancy Gardella. Working with Nancy has been such a pleasure, and we really can’t put into words what she means to us. She is passionate about the Island business community, approachable, caring, authentic, motivating, and so much more. 
    What we learned: From Nancy, we learned how to be cheerleaders for our thriving business community. We learned how to balance the hard work with rewards, we learned how to deliver consistently throughout the years, we learned how to communicate effectively with our peers. We learned that no one will be able to replace this incredible human, but we look forward to helping the new Executive Director (whoever that might be) in the New Year, become as big of a cheerleader of MV, as Nancy was.
    

11. We read a lot. Some of our favorite titles included Atomic Habits by James Clear (if you do not already subscribe to his newsletter it is a must!)This is Marketing by Seth Godin, and Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. 
    What we learned: We were inspired to really evaluate how we use our time - whether at work or play, and realized that reading is one of the best ways we can grow and educate ourselves. Whether it’s self-help or business strategy to help motivate you, satire to destress, or fantasy to make you feel a world away, reading can educate, entertain, and above all, allow you to be fully present. And honestly, how often does that happen these days?
    

12. We worked with other organizations to partner on another meaningful project. We collaborated with the Martha's Vineyard Chamber of Commerce, the Martha's Vineyard Lodging Association, the Edgartown Board of Trade, Vineyard Haven Business Association, and the Oak Bluffs Association to promote Let's Go Out Martha’s Vineyard, a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of supporting our local businesses in the fall months, and continuing to drive tourism beyond the summer. The campaign was an extension of Massachusetts Let’s Go Out initiative which was launched in May, led by the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism (MOTT) to raise public awareness of the importance of supporting local restaurants across the Commonwealth and aid in their economic recovery from the effects of COVID. 
    The mission of the Let’s Go Out Martha’s Vineyard campaign was to leverage the work of our partner organizations and local businesses to amplify the importance of taking advantage of all that Martha’s Vineyard has to offer during our second best season. The campaign invited tourists and residents alike to usher in the fall season by trying new restaurants, attending local festivals, shopping small and connecting in a safe and responsible way, while continuing to drive economic activity for the Island. 
    What we learned: Again we were reminded of how much more impactful our efforts can be when we work together and utilize the platforms, channels and audiences of other organizations to amplify our actions.
    

13. Engagement Manager Kristina Prout replied to thousands of comments and questions. Kristina has been an essential part of our business - because a huge part of social media is being social and not just posting content, Kristina has the sole task of replying to every comment, question, and concern our client accounts receive. Although she is based in Santa Barbara, she has immersed herself in every bit of online and offline literature she can get her hands on, her sister Angela makes sure of it. She actively is researching and consistently amazes us when she mentions a tid-bit we weren’t even aware of. 
    What we learned: We were reminded how important it is to respond to your community. Your followers are there to learn from you - so make sure you take the time to reply to questions and comments. If you don’t have your own Kristina Prout, we suggest setting a timer for 10 minutes daily to go through your account and reply to comments and questions, as well as comment on other community posts. 
    

14. The importance of outsourcing, and the value of Pinterest! Realizing you can't do it all is part of growing as a business and one of the things that Marnely personally delegated from her food blog business was the management of her Pinterest account, to Brittany, who has become a resource not only for the food blog, but for our own local clients. Brittany, using a pinning tool called Tailwind, took Marnely’s pinterest account (and therefore web traffic) from 20k views a month to 1.1 million views a month in the span of 12 months! 
    What we learned: The value of Pinterest is huge - if your business aligns with the platform. If you have great photography and want to direct traffic to your website - whether it’s recipes, retail, or other, reach out to us so we can put you in touch with Brittany! 

15. The necessity of good Food Photography - because we first eat with our eyes. Marnely did about a dozen or so food photography shoots with restaurants on Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard, and as we look through the photos, we are already drooling once again. If you’re in the restaurant industry, contact us to set up a shoot in 2022 to capture your delicious dishes. 
    What we learned: Gorgeous photography in your marketing and social media platforms enriches your audiences appetite and builds up excitement and anticipation for the menu items you offer. And the more they get excited, the more likely they’ll either come in the door to dine-in or make an online order for takeout.
    

16. We invested in building community: We strengthened our relationships with other community minded women, including Kim Thomas of Shorelines Illustrated and New England Coastal Creative, a group of New England content creators that work to lift eachother up. If you’re looking for a great networking opportunity and an excuse to get off the island in March be sure to check out our friend Kim’s conference happening March 29-30th in Newport, Rhode Island: The New England Coastal Creative Conference - we will be there!
    What we learned: We have so much to learn from others. Many of our fellow business owners and entrepreneurs share the same struggles and our past teachings can provide valuable insight for other business owners. Plus it’s so fun and rewarding to collaborate!
    

17. We supported the great work of many of Martha’s Vineyard’s local non-profits. Throughout the pandemic we provided social media management for the Island Food Pantry, helping to ensure that the organization was effectively communicating its offering to the community they serve. We continued to support the work of Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation, Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse, and Vineyard Conservation Society, and new this year we provided marketing services for The Yard as well as Vineyard Health Care Access, Dukes County Social Services, the Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival and Ladyfest.
    What we learned: There is so much incredible work being done on Martha’s Vineyard to assist the vulnerable populations and enrich the lives of everyone here. It’s hard to express how insanely fortunate we are to live in a place so dynamic and our local non-profits deserve all the help and support you can give them. If you have the means this holiday season please consider making a donation to your favorite Island non-Profit.
    

18. We took on new clients that we’re proud of. In addition to many of the non-profits we worked with this year, we also took on new work from beloved Martha’s Vineyard brands like Mad Martha’s, CB Stark, and Waterside Market, and helped launch new businesses online including Fish MV, and Happyist. We also provided social media consulting to award-winning cookbook author and barbeque master Steven Reichlan.
    What we learned: Users feel so connected to the brands they care about and social media is such a powerful tool for facilitating and strengthening the relationships between a brand and their customers. We love reading through the comments of the ways people connect with the content we share, from the people that share their stories of their favorite CB Stark Island charms or the home chefs that look to Steven Reichlan to prepare their favorite BBQ feast.
    

19. The importance of collecting emails and staying in direct communication with your fans. We say it all the time but email is gold. On social media you’re living on borrowed land and the platforms can change and disappear at any time. If you are not actively collecting emails from your customers and investing in your email marketing strategy you are leaving money on the table.
    What we learned: People actually like reading our emails, thanks for the great feedback friends! If you’re not already signed up you can do so here. We were also reminded of how much work it takes to stay consistent with our newsletters, even we had to take a break for our sanity earlier this season.
    

20. We continued to try to find balance between all of the things. In season we turned on those other parts of our brain and Marnely baked up a storm over at the Vineyard Golf Club and The Boathouse, while Angela continued to provide safe, at-home hair services to clients with Coast to Coast Cuts. We both actively tried to set boundaries for ourselves at our jobs to try to find balance.
    What we learned: Work life balance is basically a myth, especially when you have multiple jobs and you live in a seasonal place with a high demand for your services. So do what you can and don’t feel bad about what you can’t, and remember you’re your own worst critic.
    

21. We tried to add more value to our community and appreciated gaining the trust of so many more of our neighbors and friends. Thank you to everyone who stopped to leave us a review, referred us new business or championed for us this year. We are most grateful!