2021 - A Year in Review
“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”
Change was a big word for our team in 2021. 2020 was crazy, full of growth, full of the unexpected, full of fear and excitement. 2021 was the fall out of the unstableness of 2020, causing everyone on the AK Lean team to encounter change. Whether the change was welcomed or dreaded, it was a major catalyst for propelling AK Lean to where we are now.
At the start of 2021…
We were a team of three;
Our business frameworks were simple;
We were still in start-up mode;
We supported five local businesses and one international business; and
We worked with one law firm on a Documate build.
By the end of 2021…
We were a team of 6;
We have begun establishing procedures, policies, and guidelines to prepare for scaling;
We have worked hard to ensure the team feels connected despite physical distance and a lack of physical connection;
We supported 15 local businesses and one international business; and
We worked with seven law firms and one business acquisition organization to construct document automation processes in Documate.
The AK Lean team has experienced so many great beginnings, ringing in new chapters for our staff. From beginning a journey in college to ending a journey as an active-duty military spouse. The journey of moving, renting, and purchasing houses, and the excitement of learning new skills. There have been so many life events in 2021, and our team has had the blessing to be able o experience the ups and downs together.
While there were many great things that happened this year, there were also losses, grieving, and enduring moments our team experienced. When it mattered most, we bound together to make sure that each of us knew that we weren’t in it by ourselves, it was ok to reach out to help.
Change will continue to be prevalent in AK Lean, both on a personal level but also on the team and organization level. Some changes are easy and fun. Some changes are painful, slow, and challenge us to grow in ways that we didn’t want to grow. 2022 will bring new roller coasters of opportunities but, if we have learned anything from 2021, it’s that we are all capable of changing… and we are all here to help each other through.
“Life is about change, sometimes it’s painful, sometimes it’s beautiful, but most of the time, it’s both.”
