My 2021 Goals + Aspirations

I’ve always been a Table of Contents reader. I know some people prefer to just hop right in, beginning at page one but I like to know what I’m getting myself into. That’s why each January I like to sit down and spend a little time reflecting on my previous year and planning for my upcoming one.

While setting up my 2021 Happy Planner this morning, I also took some time to set new goals for the year. I had a killer 2020 and am hoping to keep the momentum going. The hardest part of goal setting for me is numbers. They always say “it’s not about the numbers” but without them, you start to set goals that aren’t SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely).

So, this year I generated a mix of both to keep myself on track to experience another year of 100% growth while still striving for tangible accomplishments. I can’t wait to see what this year has in store and am so excited to share all of the highs and lows with you by my side.

25K Instagram Followers 

I started off 2020 with just over 6,000 Instagram followers and ended off the year just shy of 17K. I owe a lot of my year’s growth on this platform to a few viral Tik Tok’s and my growth on YouTube but nonetheless, I’m holding out faith that I can reach 25,000 followers by the end of the year. Who knows, this could be a stretch but it’s one I’m willing to work my booty off for.

Similar to last year, I’m hoping to continue uploading photos every day while also incorporating some more casual stories, reels, and maybe a few IGTV’s as well. When asking you what you wanted to see more of on Instagram I got an overwhelmingly large response saying more real-time photos of my ootd’s, photos with friends, what I eat, etc. I suppose more of the “YouTuber who I follow on Instagram” content not “fashion blogger”. I’ve never been a fan of keeping my Insta casual but we’ll see. Perhaps I’ll have a change of heart this year.

60K YouTube Subscribers 

In 2020 alone I gained 33,225 subscribers. And while yes, I am walking proof that it is possible, it’s going to take everything I’ve got (and a little luck) to make it to 60,000 by 2021. My growth on YouTube came slowly and then all at once as the world came to a standstill and we were stuck inside quarantined. For that reason I know I’m going to have to work that much harder to check off this goal.

However, there is no feeling quite like reaching a new milestone each week. I’m hungry for that feeling of accomplishment and am so excited to see where my YouTube will take me this year.

650,000 Blog Views 

While there are dozens of people out there who will tell you “blogs are outdated”, I’m here to remind you that Tik Tok could disappear tomorrow but you’ll never stop turning to the Internet. And for that reason alone, I will continue to pour my heart into this platform. Well, and because writing is cheaper than therapy.

I reached half a million blog views just days before 2020 came to its end, a milestone I’d never dreamed possible. To put things into perspective, more people read my blog in 2020 than in my first four years of blogging combined. I was ecstatic. I’m pushing to increase my monthly views by roughly 12,500 which would give me a 150K increase by the end of the year.

I’ve kept my posting schedule to Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday for years now and as of right now will be continuing to do so. I’m planning on updating the “Shop” tab more frequently to make shopping even easier for you and would love to get a weekly newsletter sent to your emails if possible.

Increase Revenue By 30%

I don’t talk about the financial aspect of my platforms very often but I had a killer 2020. Being able to financially support myself solely off of my Styled by McKenz income is my current post-grad goal and in order to reach it in two years, I need to start by raising my revenue by 30% this year.

Revenue is the easiest goal to measure but the hardest one to gauge—in order to raise revenue you must make more sales. To make more sales you need more people placing orders. To have more people placing orders you need more people following you. It’s a constant cycle that all ties into one another!

I’m so grateful that my hobby has turned into my job and cannot thank you enough if you are someone who chooses to shop through my links! It makes a world of a difference and every bit helps me pay off those student loans!

Travel With A Company 

Traveling with a company was the only goal I set for myself in 2020 that I didn’t end up achieving and so I’m adding it right back onto this year’s list of aspirations. I’m cutting myself some slack and telling myself that a huge reason I didn’t check this off of my list was due to Covid.

I am holding out hope that things will start to return to “normal” as the year goes on, allowing me to travel with a company for the first time. I’ll be studying abroad in the Fall of 2022 and am eager to get out of the country beforehand to get a taste of my future! We shall see…. perhaps an airline, hotel, or travel agency collaboration is in my near future.

More Experience-Based Collaborations 

Going off of traveling with a brand, I really want to focus on expanding my collaborations into more experiences. While I love all things shoes and clothes, my time spent creating content is pretty evenly split between my blog and YouTube right now. And while I stick to mainly clothes here on my website, I love sharing my college lifestyle and weekly vlogs over on my YouTube channel. Getting to expand in this area is something I am very eager to do in 2021 and I’ve got a whole list of companies I’m interested in pitching!

Fall Fashion Week

I went to my first New York Fashion Week in February of 2020 and it was absolutely incredible. Unfortunately, due to Covid both the Fall and upcoming Spring shows were/will be exclusive to just buyers within the industry. Although, similar to a travel collaboration I’m keeping my fingers crossed that by Fall 2021 I’ll be able to head into the Big Apple for another week of high fashion, networking, and utter chaos!

Make It Into More Publications

I made my appearance in a few different magazines, podcasts, and articles this past year and I’d love to keep that going in 2021. There’s nothing I love more than getting to share my successes with other young girls. I’m eager to share my story and how I got started with others and am hopeful that this year will bring more opportunities to do so.

If you have a school publication, podcast, or something of the sort feel free to reach out via email (styledbymckenz@gmail.com) and we can discuss more details!

Release Merch 

I have been getting dozens of questions related to merch lately and I promise you it’s in the works. When I asked what kind of merch you’d be interested in purchasing a majority of you said crewnecks, hoodies, and joggers. I also had many people suggest a planner or some sort of notebook.

I’m still playing around with different ideas but I am starting to brainstorm some design ideas. I’m not making any promises as to when but as I continue to grow my platforms and build a deeper relationship with my following, it’s definitely something I am considering when the time is right.

Start A Podcast

I’m so proud of the direction my brand is going in and yet one thing still feels like it’s missing…. I’ve toyed with the idea of a podcast for ages now and I’m hopeful that 2021 will be the year I finally take the leap of faith. Truthfully, I would have done it over a year ago but you know me—I don’t like half a$$ing anything; if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it right. So if the opportunity arises where I am able to find enough time to fully dedicate myself to a podcast, then so be it.

2X College Influencer Of The Year Nomination 

One of my most special moments of 2021 was getting nominated for College Influencer Of The Year through Her Campus. I had hundreds of you cast votes for me and it opened my eyes to just how large (and awesome) the community I’ve built truly is. Although I did not win the final round, I am hoping to get on the ballot again in 2021. Applications come out in just a few weeks I believe so this will be a hurdle I cross sooner rather than later!

Of course, there are other things I hope to do in the New Year like better my mental health, say “yes” more, and perhaps eat a few more veggies, I figured those were givens by now. I’m a little shaken up after my New Years Day accident and yet I’m convinced things can only go up from here!

What are your resolutions/goals for 2021? I’d love to hear in the comments below—perhaps I’ll get a few more ideas for my ever-growing list. Be on the lookout for a video all about tackling your goals + managing your time coming very soon to YouTube…. In the meantime, let’s go tackle some goals!

With love, McKenz

Latest Post: Weekly Wrap Up #1 2021
Related Post: New Year New 90 Degree Gear
Instagram: styledbymckenz // YouTube: McKenzie Morgan // Pinterest: mckenzmorgan