Letter From the Publisher
with the friend who had inspired me to take the leap to create Annapolis Moms Media with my friend Jessica Opert and my other half Jeff Peri. We had been running the Facebook group for 12 years, but it wasn’t a business. At the time, I had just been laid off from a job and was feeling defeated. My friend reassured me, “You were never meant to be at that [place]. You took a ‘job’ while you collected yourself to do what you are most passionate about. Go run Annapolis Moms full time!” I went home, called Jessica and Jeff, and here we are, a year and a half later, with a magazine! I have never been more tired, stressed, and fulfilled. I’d like to share my biggest takeaways from this experience so far. • If you are waiting to be 100 percent ready to do something, you will never start. There will never be perfect conditions. Your website will never be completely done. You will never have enough money. You will never have the perfect logo and tagline. There will never be a perfect time, so just start! You will learn and grow as you move forward. • Ask for help. My friends and family have helped me every step of the way. If you ask people to help, you may be surprised how excited they are to be part of your journey. • Take care of yourself. I know–self care, blah blah blah. But do we actually take care of ourselves when we are stressed? I stopped listening to my body and almost worked myself to death, literally. There will always be a million things to do, so force yourself to unplug and rest. • Don’t try to please everyone. I’m a people pleaser, but I found that it was hurting me and not serving our company. In the end, you have to do what you think is best, and if some others are unhappy, that’s not your concern. • Just because people sound emphatically sure about something, it doesn’t mean they are correct. It’s okay to ask probing questions and disagree. Everyone will survive. • Don’t listen to gossip. People say a lot of things about a lot of people. They most likely have an agenda, so unless you know something to be true, politely nod and move along. • Say “no” more often. People often have great ideas or need your help, but we can overextend ourselves. I am working hard on saying ‘no’ and passing on opportunities TODAY I HAD LUNCH
Photo courtesy of DANIE Photography
because we didn’t have the bandwidth, or because I didn’t think it would be a good fit. I have not regretted any of those decisions yet! • Be modest. None of us are that special, and we all need each other to succeed in anything we do. Give credit to those who help you. Treat others well, not because you will get more from them, but because it’s the right thing to do. It makes Annapolis a better place to live. As you read through this Quarterly, I hope you see and hear these lessons learned in the stories that we tell. Our incredible team of writers hold the same core values as our founders. In the end, we all want our town to be a place that we are proud to call home!
Lisa Peri, MSW, Founder & Publisher
SUMMER 2024 | 3
Powered by FlippingBook