Wow, 2011 was a whirlwind year that brought so many blessings to Clairemont, but we aren’t sad it’s gone with all we have to cheer about for 2012! What do we have to cheer about you ask? (Thanks for asking.) For starters, here are 12 things:

1. Our very own Josephine Butler has been promoted! As the absolute best writer, a social media maven and a dedicated team member, she is living proof that hard work has its rewards. Congrats, Josie!
2. Clairemont turns two this year! In fact, today is the 2nd anniversary of my resignation from an amazing position with a truly outstanding global agency — a very difficult decision and the first step in launching Clairemont.
3. New clients! As 2011 was coming to a close, we added a new account and gained new client contacts for existing accounts. We look forward to doing the work we love for and with you and exceeding your expectations.
4. We have a team member in Charlotte now! That’s right, the always-networking, media savvy and oh-so-stylish Ashely Hurteau has joined the Clairemont team and is based in Charlotte. Stay tuned for more news about our work in the Queen City.
5. We also have a new team member in Raleigh, as Margot Horgan joins us this semester as an intern. Highly recommended for her sharp writing skills and social media know-how, we are thrilled she accepted our TLC (team, learning, career) internship.
6. In the spirit of improved productivity (and coolness, so we’re told) Clairemont is transitioning from a PC agency to a Mac agency. I have to say, I will forever love my pink Lenovo ideapad, but as we continue to incorporate more video and creative elements into social media for our clients, we need more robust programs.
7. Speaking of social media, three cheers for Pinterest! In addition to becoming an addicted pinner personally, we are excited about how we will be incorporating this platform into our clients’ 2012 communications strategies.
8. With new computers come new accessories! Check out the photo of our Macs + Gelaskins. In addition to being a protective cover, this helped ease the pain of saying goodbye to my pink netbook as my everyday computer. I became a Gelaskin lover when I ordered one for my iPhone last year, and it has become my most complimented accessory.

   

9. New shoes! Yes seriously, shoes. Ever heard the Todd Snyder song, Sideshow Blues? I wholeheartedly believe the line, “it’s hard to kick the door down wearing seven dollar shoes.” Let’s just say that the Clairemont team has made some purchases and received some gifts that will adequately allow us to kick down all the doors we face in 2012.
10. This year will be the 10th anniversary of Triangle Family Service’s Gingerbread Benefit. Because it is also the organization’s 75th anniversary, we will be working all year with the talented team at Triangle Family Services as our primary pro-bono account to promote both of these newsworthy milestones.
11. We have a surprise! We can’t tell you about it now, but it certainly has us cheering. More to come! (And if I left that for No. 12, you would think I simply ran out of things that are cheer-worthy!)
12. 

    No. 12 is Twitter Tervis Tumblers! Beyond the alliteration of that sentence, we love Tervis Tumblers  because they help keep us green. If you have read our Green Thought Thursday posts, you know that we are all about baby steps to protecting our Mother Earth. Santa got on board with our no throw-away cups and fewer water bottles efforts and brought us TervisTumblers with our customized Twitter handles. Isn’t he considerate to think about the environment while helping us increase our following? (And never again do we have to have the conversation of who left her cup on the conference table!)

I could easily tell you 12 more things that have me totally jazzed about this year, but I’d rather hear about what is making you do cartwheels these days. Firecracker, firecracker, boom, boom, boom? We promise to cheer for each comment. In fact, we’ll come up with and video a cheer about the best one! Happy New Year!