As most new years begin, we enter with a sense of positivity and optimism. Thinking about the goals you’re going to tackle, the person you’re going to transform into and just how much weight you’re going to lose… and keep off.

Enter the year of 2019… the year of YES.

Then…bam…its the end of the year and it feels like I blacked out for 12 months.

A lot can happen in a year, a lot you don’t expect or plan for or even think could ever happen to you.

I was hit with some life altering medical news that will forever change me as a person and change my future
I lost two important people within 5 days of one another
I lost the closest person I had in my life to a black hole of depression and sorrow and had to watch them find their own way out, feeling helpless and selfish
I cut a toxic family member from my life - this is not an easy thing to do, but the healthiest choice I could make for myself
I kinda lost myself there for a second too

But, I wont bore you with the gory details or bring you down a negative path, well, mostly cause things got better, or are at least headed in that direction.

What I do wanna share are some of the things Im am so incredibly grateful happened this past year.

I got to go BACK to Japan

The first time getting to go to Japan with Taylor Andrews Academy and Dallan Flint was a dream come true, but getting to go again, it was fantasy becoming reality and a true growth opportunity.

Read about some of the lessons I learned here.

Hair Camp made a lot of 90’s shows come to life

For someone that had only ever gone to Space Camp… why yes, I am actually that cool, this was a totally different experience then I’ve had before. What a fun way to connect with friends old and new in an environment that brings you back to your childhood.

I had to remind myself and remind you in the process

Here’s what I wrote:

“This isn’t something we get to hear often in this industry. Our friends and family don’t always understand the hard work, consistent education (cutting, color, business, social media, etc.), the travel and planning that goes into our dreams, the audition processes, the literal blood, sweat and tears that come from working behind the chair, back stage or on it.

Not everyone supported our decisions to enroll in beauty school instead of a traditional 4 year college. They don’t know that we have to understand geometry, chemistry, accounting, law, psychology, fashion, trend, history and the immense amount of other things that it takes to do our jobs everyday. They only know what they have seen portrayed in movies and TV... the trashy, party, brainless lifestyle of a hairdresser.

Well... we want you to know that we DO know what it takes to get up everyday to do what you do. We see you. And we are SO VERY PROUD OF YOU.

Your hustle, your strength, your continued thirst for knowledge and the want and need to hone your craft. We’re proud of you #hairnerds. We’re proud of this industry.

I got to celebrate my first PRIDE event

Something I have always wanted to do, but just never had the chance. It was a fun day getting to be authentically me and feel seen.

I Found Nerve

This one might seem silly to you, but some intense growth happened in 2019. I’m not one to start up a convo with a stranger, or insert myself into groups and feel like I know where to jump in, and when the opportunity presented itself that I was in an elevator with one of my Icons, I didn’t jump at the chance to spark up quick hello. But eventually I did…

I”ll let you read the rest from the post here.

There were some other cool stuff that happened, but to be honest, it’s all a bit of a blur. But what I really took away from the Year of Yes was:

saying yes to myself

This is me walking away from the baggage, bullshit and trauma.

This year has been my best and yet my worst - It started with my motto being “the year of yes”. Saying yes to opportunities that came my way, yes to going to events and education. Yes to talking to new people and expanding my social group, both personally and professionally. But... what this year has turned into is a year of saying yes to ME.

Choosing myself over anything else has grown me as a person on levels never ever imagined. Has it been easy? Not even a little bit.

Saying yes to myself has made me say no to so many things. No to toxic people in my life, no to things that don’t help me grow, no to trips and events, no to opportunities that would have hindered my mental health, even if they could have been good for my business. No to things I used to think would bring me joy, but we’re honestly just band-aids to life.

Saying no could seem to be the motto for the year from my old point of view, but saying yes to myself has become the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

Here’s to a happy, healthy, prosperous 2020.

Annie's Year of Yes