Looking back on 2021

LOOKING BACK

The start of the year was pretty intense. January 6 anyone!? Shortly after, poet Amanda Gorman took to the stage where she shone bright in her yellow coat. She spoke beautiful, touching words, which still warm my heart. Her new book is out too. Self-gifting suggested.

Favorite quote: ‘Our brains have been wired to see what we have been set up to expect. In essence, we find what we choose to look for.’ - Source unknown, TED Monterey - I can’t remember who said it, I just jotted it down. I find it 100% on point.

Best collaboration? For sure, Balenciaga & the Simpsons. I can’t see how this will be topped.

Best test for self-understanding and self-awareness? The Kolbe Index. If you read me regularly, you know I wax lyrical about it. Do it! It’s $50 very well spent. Email me when you get the results. So good…

Most unexpected podcast I enjoyed? An erotic approach to the climate crisis.

METAverse conversations: did you notice that no one is talking about Clubhouse anymore? Facebook wants to connect the whole world and I keep on looking for an alternative to Instagram so I can get the hell out of Meta’s properties.

Many of us have lost loved ones this year, whether from COVID, cancer or something else. The fashion and design worlds were hit too, first we mourned the loss of the wonderful Alber Elbaz and just a few weeks ago, the passing of Virgil Abloh. May they rest in peace.

My favorite topic this year? Fashion as self-care - probably because it felt so true to me when I wrote it and also because I’ll be talking about it early in the new year on the Talk About Talk podcast with Dr Andrea Wojnicki.

Favourite podcast of the year: why and how to hope, a conversation between Martha Beck and neuro-anatomist Jill Bolte-Taylor.

Second favourite podcast of the year: 💥💥💥💥💥 Brené Brown x Esther Perel. I mean... Outstanding women talking about stuff that matters: partnerships, patterns and paradoxical relationships.

Favorite book and exercise of the year? The Art of Possibility, by Benjamin and Rosamund Zander, and practicing Giving Yourself an A, One Buttock Playing, then Telling the We Story.

Favorite workshop of the year (maybe even of the last three years, which is saying a lot)? Scaling Intimacy with Jenny Sauer-Klein and her team of amazing facilitators. The co-founder of Acroyoga is passionate about designing transformational experiences, and not only does she do that beautifully, but she also shines when she shows others the ropes (pun totally intended).
For anyone (like me) interested in experience design, this workshop is a must (however skilled you think you are in designing your events). You will walk out of this 4-day experience with a super effective toolkit so you can start designing transformational experiences in your own circles.
Having waxed lyrical about this to several people already, I’ve gone out and asked Scaling Intimacy for a discount code for my Mettā View readers. The next workshop is in March, so do yourself a favor and sign up! Enter ANNE10 at checkout for 10% off and thank me later.

Most touching blog post, surprisingly, comes courtesy of Professor G (aka Scott Galloway), with an incredibly beautiful piece of writing about grieving the loss his family's dog, Zoe, called Love Persevering. Read it with tissues at hand.

2021 marks the year I discovered Anne Lamott. I’m a bit late to the party but if you haven’t yet read her - watch her. Even if you have no aspirations to be a writer, get her book ‘Bird by Bird’ and laugh along. It’s so good to read and laugh.

I’m a rebel. I haven't watched Squid Games, nor did I watch Tiger king last year (too much hype kills the hype in my opinion). But this year also marks the year of TED LASSO! Oh man, I love that show so much, I feel a rerun coming up. Listen to Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt interviewed by Brené Brown, self-appointed president of TLFC (Ted Lasson Fan Club). Heart-warming.

Also, this last James Bond rocked my world -it was so good to go back to the cinema.

LOOKING FORWARD

Author and coach Paulette Perhach talks to me about writing, personal finance and much more, on the latest podcast from Out of the Clouds.

As it turns out, brain surgeons and rocket scientists may not be smarter than you and I.
Curiosity is THE skill to master to take your career to new heights.
Power up your team thanks to creativity myths debunked by HBR.
Birds aren’t real: the true story of the movement.
Goblincore explained, courtesy of the first Instagram Trend report.
Best books of the year, via The New Yorker.

Finally, I’m so grateful to have such wonderful friends. I am particularly proud of these four who are making strides in building their own businesses!

Let’s cheers for:

Annie Lee with Plannie
Lupe Puerta with The Floorr
Bridgitte Klein with Yanne Wellness
Sophia Chabbott with Testament Beauty