As 2024 draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on what this year has meant to me, as well as what's happened. Although biggest thing was probs finally teaching my dog Flash how to lay down (If I'm holding a treat).
The year began with Frankie turning one, and now she’s about to turn two. I would never have seen that coming. Watching her grow from a little potato into this vibrant, chatty bean that loves to run around, play and dance has been incredible. My mum recounted to me on the phone the other day how the looks I give Frankie are filled with so much love, and that meant a lot to me. Even if she went on to then talk about her love life in too much detail shortly after.
Coincidentally, this year, I also returned to therapy after a long break. One of the big things we ended up working on is focusing on remaining present and connected. Both in my personal life and with the brand and community (you). Some of my fave moments of the year were the LKCC Create Your Own Tee events we ran for the Lonely Kids Club group. Seeing everyone’s ideas come to life and getting to contribute some of my own while working hard alongside the team to get them done is always such an experience. Seeing how happy it makes people is something that always stays with me. I then think about it when I go on to print the T-shirts.
As with last year, we continued our focus on improving our production and printing. I'm a bit obsessed. We finally built our own printing room, which required building walls, a ceiling, multiple doors and a bunch of customized stuff to achieve what we wanted. The end result is a stable work environment for our two printers to keep them running smoothly. This whole project is something I've been talking about (Probably too much) for years. The other week one of the team said, “Two years ago, our processes didn't make sense, and it was all a bit of a mess. Now, it feels like a proper production house, and we've come so far in a really short time. It's cool.” It was cool. Plus I had to learn about humidifiers, installing portable aircons, and a lot more printer maintenance stuff. Very cool.
We also finally brought back some items I’d been planning for awhile now. I'm talking new and improved more cosy track pants, and a way bigger hat collection with different colours, styles and heaps more classic prints. These things don't always look as crazy on the website, but so much work goes into making sure it all runs smoothly and the prints / products are perfect.
Looking back, I spend so much time, whether walking Flash, printing late at night, or lying in bed; thinking about this brand and how to make it the best it can be. And I love that. The fact that Lonely Kids Club is still here, and still growing, means the world to me. I know it’s been a particularly tough time for many, and I’m deeply grateful for your support through it all.
As we head into 2025, my goals remains the same: to keep creating things people can connect with, keep building a welcoming community of rad people, and keep printing better than ever. Thank you for being part of this journey. Stay safe, and I’ll see you in the new year.
- Warwick
