I think, therefore I write

2012 was a momentous year for me career-wise as it marked the 10th anniversary of my writing business, Hedgehog Communications. 10 years! It sure doesn't feel like a decade has passed. When I first started this enterprise, I wasn't sure it would even last a year. But lasted it has, and even garnered some very loyal customers along the way, for which I'm extremely grateful.

The business has allowed me to keep myself economically active while being there with my kids. It also let me make a living out of something I love - writing.

So to mark the occasion, I decided to print some notebooks as a corporate gift.  I didn't want just any commonplace notebook, so I sourced around and at a gifts fair, a particular one caught my eye. It's a notebook made from stone paper, something I'd never heard of. It's waterproof, tear-proof, smudge resistant and bio-degradable. How intriguing is that?

The decision was easy then. I decided to keep to a simple design with my logo on the back and went with a small print run.

In fact, a couple of my corporate customers liked the idea of stone paper so much that they had their own gifts produced from it. Always nice to be able to contribute to the green movement.

I wrote a 10th anniversary note for my website which I'll share here as it encapsulates my beliefs about the power of writing.

I think, therefore I write.

In 10 years, we at Hedgehog Communications have written 59 annual reports, 64 brochures, 28 websites and 35 newsletters. Not to mention the many speeches, advertisements and magazines… even the occasional mission statement. That's a lot of words.

But effective writing is never just about the number of words. In a world where we are constantly faced with a deluge of information, each piece demanding our attention, the power to communicate - clearly and convincingly - is more important than ever.

Over the past 10 years, Hedgehog Communications has discussed healthcare, debated over education and explained technology. We've crafted messages for CEOs, penned quirky headlines for posters and scripted lines for corporate presentations. Through it all, we've strengthened our belief that the pen (or in 21st century terms, the keyboard) is a mighty instrument. It crystalises the power of the written word - to shape thought, evoke emotion and drive behaviour.

10. It's just a number. But seen in the light of a decade of communications, if something we've written has given you pause for thought, made you smile or changed your mind just a little, then it was a decade well spent.

Thank you for being part of our journey.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

In many ways, what I do at work has some parallel with my blogging.  My blog readers are often as supportive of me as my clients and so, I'm giving out 5 notebooks as a small gesture of appreciation.

If you would like a stone paper notebook, be among the first 5 to like this post on the Of Kids and Education Facebook page and write a message. Then email me (also on Facebook) to let me know where to mail the notebook to.