Year-End Review: Our Growth, Lessons Learned, and Goals for the Future

Here we grow again; it’s hard to believe that we’re about to celebrate our 3rd full year of business. This year has been marked by elevating our processes to become a more efficient and impactful team. More importantly, we’re learning to leverage our amazing partnerships to create something bigger than ourselves.

As per our tradition, we take our anniversary to reflect on how far we’ve come and share where we plan to grow. To provide complete transparency and allow others to take a look behind the curtain, so to speak, let’s delve into how we’ve grown.
 

How We’ve Grown:

In our second and third year, we’ve reached beyond our borders, obtaining clients not only in the US but also in Canada and South America.  We also work with clients all over North America expanding in over 20 states. Compared to our first year when we had to prove that a 100% remote company was feasible, we’re now proving the possibility that a remote company is more efficient, though this theory is still under evaluation.

While our early years focused on expanding our services to meet our clients’ needs, the past year has required us to discipline ourselves to grow strategically. We’ve critically assessed the services we provide and, guided by our valued client partners, fine-tuned and elevated our processes in anticipation of market changes and the development of recent technologies.  To meet the demand for creating a more dynamic online customer experience, we’ve expanded our marketing services by growing our marketing team; more on that announcement later.

 

 

What We’ve Learned:

Ingrid Prince:

In the  fast-paced  world  of  business,  where  companies  rise  and  fall,  marking  an  anniversary  is  a  remarkable  achievement.  It’s  not  just  about  the  number  of  years that have passed but also a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and vision that have fueled our company’s growth.

Behind every  successful  company,  there’s  a  dedicated  team  of  employees  who  work  tirelessly  to  achieve common  goals.  We’d like  to  take  this opportunity  to  express  our  gratitude  to  the  incredible  team members who  have  contributed  to  our  growth.  Their hard  work, creativity,  and  passion  have  been the  driving  force behind our success.  Our customers  are  at  the  heart  of  everything  we  do.  We recognize  that without  their  trust  and  support, we wouldn’t be here today.

We’ve had  our share  of  successes and  setbacks,  and  each  experience has shaped us. Our gratitude also extends to the challenges we’ve faced,  as  they  have  made  us  stronger  and  more  resilient.  We’re committed to  pushing  the  boundaries of innovation,  improving  our  products  and  services,  and expanding our reach. Our gratitude for the past fuels our determination to make the future even brighter.

Shari Morton:

Our third year in business has been the most significant year of our adult lives. By learning to attract like-minded and like-hearted people, we’ve been able to grow even more as leaders. Stepping back from working in the business and focusing on the business has expedited the growth of Shared Drive. We’ve learned the difference between being a one-woman show and a full force is stepping out of the way of great minds and allowing those around us to do what they do best. To be bigger than ourselves, we have to align our voice and mission with the voices and missions of many. It’s true what they say; there is strength in numbers. With each victory, we must be sure to acknowledge those who assisted in the win.

How We’ve Changed:

We’ve noticed a significant gap in the skillsets of the OSC as a community. Enduring one of history’s truly unique markets has helped us identify these gaps, not only between departments but also in the communications that occur between our people and our systems. To ensure these gaps are closed, we’ve shifted our entire leadership team’s focus to three major areas: branding and marketing, leveraging technology, and proper lead nurturing.

In our search for a more unified team providing uninterrupted customer service, we’ve realized that the best way to accomplish this is to provide it ourselves. Never before has our industry been offered a holistic solution to their online needs, and we’re excited to help bridge that gap.
 

What the Future Looks Like:

Next year, our focus is to help usher our industry toward the “age of intelligence.” With online consumer behavior changing rapidly, where AI has made data more important than ever, we are committed to not only providing a seamless online experience for the customer but also collecting valuable data to assist our customers in making informed decisions about their future.

In 2024, Shared Drive is adopting the mantra of “new year, new look.” Our marketing division is hard at work rebranding our entire appearance and website with the goal of providing valuable information for our industry and a clearer message on the innovative solutions we can offer to our clients.