Written by: Shannon Briggs

In 2018, I participated in Kat Gordon’s visioning workshop. For those of you who don’t know her, Kat is the creative genius behind Muddy’s Bake Shop and her success is inspirational! Her visioning workshop is based on the methods she and her team of “gnomies” use to plan and make decisions for Muddy’s. Since then, I’ve used the lessons I learned at the workshop to kickstart my own annual business planning.

At the beginning of each year, I create a vision for how I want that year to look. I write it as if it's the end of the year and I am reflecting back. For me, the most fun part is re-reading that vision 12 months later when it is actually the end of the year, and I can see how reality compares to what I wrote. 

I had quite the vision for 2022, as we launched and grew Campfire Collective. A lot of my “pie in the sky” dreams for 2022 did in fact come true! Of course many did not, but all for good reasons, and many unexpected happies  occurred along the way as well. 

As I sat down to write my 2023 vision for Campfire Collective, I thought about what I wanted this year to look like for my team and me. How could we top such an incredible 2022? Where could we grow from here?

Friends, I am happy to share that we have plans in the works to make 2023 just as exciting as the previous year. It’s official. It’s written down on paper. The evidence is there. The planning has begun. Here we go!

While I don’t want to spoil too many of the surprises we have coming your way, here are a few things I can tell you that we’re looking forward to this year: 

First, our team is expanding! As of this month, our Team Wayfinder Ariana is full-time with a project management and public relations role. She’s going to ensure we all stay on track, organized, and on-time, as well as making sure our clients’ PR footprint in the Memphis community and beyond is thriving.

Because Ariana will now be busy with these responsibilities, we’re bringing on a new part-time Campfire Coordinator this month. We’re still searching for that perfect fit for our team, and interviews will begin soon. You can find the job description and information on how to apply here. 

Additionally, as a side project, I have accepted an adjunct position at The University of Memphis in the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media, teaching Introduction to Public Relations. As a two-time former graduate and die-hard Tiger basketball and football fan, I couldn’t be more excited to find my way back to the university that gave me so much. I’m also looking forward to meeting and mentoring the future PR leaders of Memphis (while finding ways to incorporate cat memes into lesson plans). 

Since our team is expanding and taking on new responsibilities, you can imagine that we have big plans to grow and scale Campfire Collective this year too. When it comes to our clients, we believe strongly in working with community-based businesses, so they can in turn lift up their community as a whole. We want to do this on a bigger scale in 2023: help communities thrive by helping their heart and soul thrive. 

In addition to big plans for our team and clients, we have aspirations for increased community engagement. Without the support of our community, Campfire Collective would have fizzled before it caught fire! We are forever grateful for the continued encouragement we receive from clients, colleagues, friends, and neighbors. Our relationship with our community is a vital part of our identity, and we are expanding that relationship in 2023 with our “Carrying the Torch'' volunteerism plan, launching later this month. This strategic plan will lay out in depth exactly how we plan to give back to the city that has given us so much. 

In the second and third quarter of 2023, we’ll have even more announcements on how we plan to dive deeper into our community. For now, we encourage you to join us for the ride. Adventures are more fun with friends!