Last night, I happened to catch a video on TikTok that I found quite interesting. The speaker was giving his predictions on the success of social media marketing companies in 2024. His opinion was that, as time progresses, it’s becoming more difficult to “game the system” by posting at a certain time of day, using certain hashtags to increase views, or using canned “content” that’s been pre-packaged for posting on a schedule. At the end of the day, he surmised, how interesting your content is and how you or your brand connects with customers will be the only thing that matters.
But of course. This is something that I have been preaching for years. Savvy business owners know there are no shortcuts to success. Just hard work, day after day after day. Or, as the most published and widely read book in the world says, you reap what you sow.
A Farewell to Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka: CH2’s Maggie Washo, Jevon Dały and Trevor Harden capture Sulka as she says goodbye.
I was thinking about this as I was taking in all the health and wellness-centric articles in our January issue. The beginning of the year oftentimes is seen as a time to start anew—get on that diet again; restart that gym membership, vow to eat only whole foods. Truly though, the only path to success is to do all of these things consistently, whatever day or month the calendar is showing.
Breaking habits is difficult—and sometimes requires switching up almost everything in your routine to keep you from falling into comfortable old patterns. With hard work, self-discipline, and commitment, however, you will see your efforts begin to pay off—and that will invigorate you to keep going.
A few years back, I remember looking in the mirror and thinking I didn’t recognize myself. I had packed on the pounds and was desperately in need of a new routine. It was then that I started changing not one thing—but everything. I started running every morning. I stopped drinking for nine months, and, with the help of a local eatery called Healthy Habit, I started really paying attention to my diet. After losing 30 pounds, I remember vowing to myself to never let my weight and health get that out of control again.
Nick and Andrea Bergelt (owners of Healthy Habit) were instrumental in helping me get on the right path all those years ago, so when I heard they were starting a meal prep program to help others, I wanted to help share the good word. I participated in a week of beta-testing and cannot say enough good things about how tasty the food was or how much time I saved in an already crazy work week. The meals are ready to eat and can be heated up in 10 minutes. Read the story on page 53.
In Cooking for the Season (page 42), my friend Charlotte Hardwick again shares some healthful recipes and talks about the health benefits of the included ingredients. I remember someone telling me that you “cannot outrun your fork,” and boy is that true. Nutrition and self-control when it comes to your consumption is possibly even more important than an exercise program.
This issue has so many great articles in it and, as always, I am running out of room before I can expound like I would like to on all. In closing, I will give you three that I hope you don’t skip over this month.
Call of the Wild: Our longtime copyeditor says goodbye and we wish her the best as she embarks on new birding adventures.
Cactus Street Cantina: Longtime locals Tracy Wilson and Lauren Jordan started a new restaurant on Main Street that I personally find delicious!
A Farewell State of Mind: Bluffton says goodbye to Mayor Lisa Sulka.
Happy New Year, everyone! May 2024 be the year you deserve!
Maggie Washo, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
