Hindsight is 2020, and 2021.

“Remember, hindsight is 2020, we have the benefit of learning from our experiences and applying that to our growth. ”

WHAT. A. COUPLE. OF. YEARS. to have had time to reflect.

I think one of the key take aways from 2020 was for us all to slow down and recognise how fast we had all been going. The modern world has become one of speed and along the way some of us may have forgotten the benefits of taking some time out and the importance of recharging our human batteries.

Since graduating college in 2013 with my undergrad, I have felt nothing but a continuous uphill battle in the professional sense. We all meet bumps in the road, but I can’t help but personally feel it has just been continuous. Between only being eligible for JobBridge jobs when leaving college mid recession, to then only being offered month to month contracts, to physical injury knocking me for six, to having serious issues with line managers after losing a parent tragically, I decided in 2019 I needed to go it alone and set up my own business, full time.

Best thing I ever did. You learn so much when you’re being pushed beyond your comfort zone. The biggest business learning curves? - some people will be unhappy with your service, you’ll make mistakes, you’ll learn from them, you’ll butt heads with some people and try your very best to manage relationships, and, you’ll invest a huge amount of money!

However, I’ve also learned about myself, I’ve grown faster in the last three years than I have in any previous role, something I was always missing before. I’ve built upon my resilience, because god knows you need it when trying to build a business.

My main priorities have stayed the same, and there’s no negotiating in that department, my family and my health.

Another thing I’ve learned, businesses seem to have become way too reactive instead of proactive - this is not sustainable for brands, nor for the earth we live on. We need proactivity, and foresight. We have more information available to us now than we ever had before. Knowledge is power, use it.

Before I sign off, I for one believe that the slowing down forced upon me during this pandemic, has saved my life. Take time to have some deep reflection and assess where to take yourself in the next year. Think about what you want. And remember, hindsight is 2020, we have the benefit of learning from our experiences and applying that to our growth.

In 2022, Emma Synnott Photography will become Synnott Media, offering a broader range of services to adapt to the times we’re in.

May 2022 be your best year yet.

An image of me while on a break from an on location shoot in Geneva, Switzerland, 2019