December 2021

Have you been able to accomplish all your goals for 2021?
I have always been one to set goals and make vacation plans. I remember in January of 2020 we were on a Caribbean cruise, and I was writing in my calendar for 2020, setting my goals and marking off our vacation days. A woman sitting next to me could not understand why I was writing in my calendar and setting dates and goals while on vacation.

The facts for the self-employed are if you do not plan, it will not happen. I enjoy making plans and knowing what is going to happen and when. Of course, thing’s do not always go as planned and we must learn to go with the flow. But boy did the 2020 pandemic change so much for us all!?!?

During the pandemic I was scared — scared of my family getting sick, scared of me getting sick and spreading it to family, and scared of my Charles getting sick. We did not eat out, events stopped and yet, I was still scared to see my family simply due to fear of spreading a disease I had no control over.

With 2021, I continued goal setting and planning vacations. In those goals one was to sell a few trolleys and downsize the company, with the hope give me more time with my family. Looking back, I cannot say that happened as life has a way of changing plans. I sadly missed events like grandchildren’s birthday parties because I did not block out the time I should had and had events those days. We LOVE being there for your special days and I learned some valuable lessons. Many thinks self-employment means freedom and the ability to do as you please but that is not the case when you are building sales, contracts, and fulfilling those contracts. With the downsize I am learning to prioritize more and that means having to be stricter with availability. Sometimes we have flexible time and schedules and sometimes we just cannot be flexible in order be there for our family.

For several year’s ran 3 trolley’s and the JOYJOY bus, which means doing multiple events was working non-stop. The pandemic was a wakeup call for me and made me take a deeper look at my life and business. After analyzing business and expenditures, I have made the decision of running one trolley for special events, such as weddings and corporate functions and the JOYJOY bus for corporate events, weddings, and private Christmas Light tours. We are no longer operating a trolley for Christmas light tours. FLO the Suburban will stick with weddings and corporate events, as well some private outings for golfers and ladies’ day’s out.

My goal for 2022 is to spend more time with my grands, Charles and make memories on a few vacations. And most of all I hope you have some goals and vacation plans set for 2022. We hope to make sweet memories with you on rehearsal dinners, weddings, and corporate functions.

Time with our family is something we will never get back.

Cheers to you and yours, XOXO the Trolley Lady.