27/10/2025
Last week, we enjoyed an intimate little celebration for Aquila's 1st Birthday!
A few drinks & nibbles with a handful of our closest business partners, friends & clients - just to say thanks (including to our clients & partners who couldn't join us).
If you've been in our corner over the past year, actively supported us, trusted us with your business, referred us to your network and clients and parted with your marketing dollars in order to help us grow and stay afloat - THANK YOU!
Small business is tough - getting your business off the ground, networking, building relationships, getting paid work (and enough of it), showing up and backing yourself - even when you don't "feel the love" from everyone in the room, building a team, products and service offerings to a high standard you can be proud of... All while making it seem completely effortless (Entrepeneurs, am I right, or am I right?!!).
It takes hard work, a ton of resilience, humility, grit and determination.
For a while, I shied away from acknowledging my new beginnings, a new business, hesitated to show up online, didn't want to be the "face" of any business, always stressed the connection between my husband's well-established agency and its 15 years of business. I was afraid of how Aquila Creative might be perceived - too small, unestablished... And I was (still am?) desperate for the respect of my network, peers and clients. A senior lawyer, now running a creative agency... What is she thinking?! Is she a "working Mum" who simply couldn't balance it all? "Ugh - she's always posting on Social Media - how cringe!". My fear of people's perception played heavily on my mind and really limited my willingness to just go for it! A lifetime of witnessing and experiencing tall poppy syndrome, taking its toll, perhaps?
As a society, I think we sometimes have an unreasonable expectation that the businesses we are willing to support must be well-established, successful, market-leading companies almost overnight.
But after a year in business and being surrounded by so many incredible small business owners and entrepreneurs in my networking circles, I'll tell you where your dollars will make the greatest difference, who will work the hardest, who will go above and beyond to demonstrate value, to do a good job, to exceed your expectations in exchange for 1 little 5 star Google Review or your word of mouth referral - a small business owner.
So - seek out opportunities to support small business. It means more than you can ever fully appreciate (until you're in their shoes). And thank you, sincerely, for supporting me and Aquila Creative. We're moving full steam ahead into year 2 and beyond! And I'm feeling proud as punch!
