2024 wrapped | The Littlebigbox edition

2024 has been an enormous year of personal change for our founder, April. Here, we look back on the year and reflect on the highs, the lows and the in-betweens.

2024 wrapped | The Littlebigbox edition has become a real tradition in the LBB calendar. And especially with a year as fast-paced as this one (for many different reasons!), it feels important to take a moment away from the festive frenzy to reflect.

We sat down to chat with our founder – April – about why this has been a year of enormous personal growth for her and how this has impacted her business.

Hey April! Let’s first address the elephant in the room – you’re no longer Miss April Hodge, are you?

Indeed! I am now Mrs April Whitton – it still feels funny saying that! When I look back on this year, this has to be the standout. Getting married at Burley Manor in the New Forest (with little Maisie right there by our side) and surrounded by all of our loved ones is something I will never, ever forget. I feel incredibly grateful for that day – it’ll be in my heart forever. 

We then took our honeymoon at the Lake District with Maisie – countless long walks, boat trips on the lakes and airing out all the cobwebs that had built up over the year. Bliss!

It really was the most sublime day. And that wasn’t the only big personal change for you, was it?

No, it wasn’t! Around the same time we also moved house. We now live much closer to the New Forest, which has always been a big dream of ours. I feel like it’s already changing our lifestyle massively. I can feel myself breathe deeper now that we’re out here. It’s pretty amazing.

Beautiful! And that ability to breathe more fully has been needed this year, hasn’t it?

That’s one way of putting it! It’s been a tough year for the business. Lots of plans that didn’t work out the way I’d hoped, quite a few challenges that really tested me and quiet periods. While it’s been hard, it has forced me to take a long, hard look at how I run my business. I took advantage of those quiet times and focused on bringing more balance into my personal and professional life. Building a business is no walk in the park, and it’s been over a decade for me now! You can easily slip into bad habits (such as over-working, merging the boundaries between ‘home-life’ and ‘work-life’ and never really switching off), but I made a commitment this year to turn that on its head.

I now take far more breaks and downtime – especially now we’re out by the forest, this includes getting outside with Maisie and practicing mindfulness, which has been great for my mental health. By doing this, I can be more productive and get back to enjoying my business again.

That sounds super positive April – so, if you did have to choose one project that really stood out for you this year, what would it be?

I think it would have to be Sorbet Living! Everything about their brand is so inspiring, it’s an aesthetic feast and I was bursting with ideas from the word go. I’m super proud of the final result, and I know the client was really happy as well.

READ THE SORBET LIVING CASE STUDY HERE

Looking ahead, what are you hoping for 2025?

My aim is to keep my balance between personal and professional life, even when work starts building again. I’ve heard a lot of people say 2025 is going to be their year, so I really hope I can join them on that journey and create more beautiful websites that business owners are proud of!

Thank you April! And thank you to everyone who has been a part of #TeamLBB’s 2024. We’re looking forward to connecting with more of you in 2025. Now, go and enjoy your lead up to Christmas!

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