15 Years in Business - Built from Love, Grit and a Bloody Good Gut Instinct

Fifteen years ago, I didn’t start a business for the fun of it. I started because I had two little boys and no choice but to make life work on my terms. I needed to be present. I needed to earn. And I needed something that allowed me to be both a parent and a professional without dropping every plate in sight.

With a background in marketing and a head full of ideas, I launched just as the digital world was waking up. Social media was a baby, websites were mostly dreadful, and everyone was still trying to get their head around what “online marketing” even meant. I already spoke fluent traditional marketing, and I quickly learned how to blend the old with the new. That’s where it started. Just me, my iMac, and a stubborn refusal to give up.

Three years later, FCM Publishing was born. Five years after that, Chronos. FCM Media eventually grew up and last year became TLJ IMC — a business that’s evolved as I have. The names have changed, but the core hasn’t. I still believe in showing up properly, doing the job well, and ensuring my clients have a smile on their face. Quiet consistency has built this. Not hype.

My basic skills are the same - strategy, storytelling, getting things done - but it’s my passion for sharing knowledge that drives it now. I want people to feel empowered, I want ideas to get out of people’s heads and into the world. Whether I’m ghostwriting books, prepping manuscripts, helping someone rethink how they show up in business, or just giving them the confidence to hit “publish” - that’s the good stuff.

This year feels different. There are some bold shifts happening behind the scenes, new things bubbling, new people coming in. Big ideas, long overdue changes, and a lot of fire in my belly. It’s exciting. It’s slightly terrifying. And it’s absolutely what’s next.

So yes, this is a celebration. Of getting up - every day, even the brutal ones. Of building something real while the world kept spinning. It’s a reminder for me to stop, look back, and actually see how far I’ve come. If I could go back 15 years and tell myself what I would do and the people I would meet, I don’t think I’d believe it. But I have done those things and met those people and it's been a blast (well, some days!!).

Fifteen years later, I’m still here. Still standing. Still showing up. And I might just be getting started.

To everyone who’s worked with me, trusted me, learned with me, and stayed the course - thank you. You’ve been part of something bigger than a business. You’ve helped shape a life.

Here’s to whatever the next chapter looks like. I’m read maybe even for another 15 years… but who knows!