Hey everyone,
Goss.ie finally had it's official launch party as we celebrated the site's first birthday on June 4th.
I was completely overwhelmed by the turn out on the night and can't thank everyone enough for coming and I hope you all had a brilliant night.
A massive thank you to Cocoa Brown Tan who were our title sponsors on the night, and of course Cadburys, Clarins, Mane N Tail and The Body Shop for all the treats in our Goodie Bags.
Huge shout out to Buck Whaley's on Leeson Street who hosted the party, Yellow Tail who provided everyone with their gorgeous wine and Odessa Vodka.
Also to Sugar & Spice who gave us a table full of branded treats and of course Jen's Couture Cakes for their stunning four tier cake they made for us, people were snacking on the red velvet cake at all hours of the night!
Everyone loved are gigantic GOSS letters as well, and that was thanks to the lovely Linda at Lovin Letters.
Also my dress was from the amazing Starla Dresses - Rental and Hire and the lovely team at Sugar Cubed did my hair.
Plus I was lucky enough to have Lancome's elite makeup artist Laura Pye do my makeup on the night, with Laura looking after me in Debenhams.
See behind the scenes at the Goss.ie Party
The last 12 months have been a complete rollercoaster, and nothing that has happened has really sunk in.
It wasn't until the end of the party when I looked around seeing everyone having fun and the Goss signage everywhere that I realised how far the site has come, and how far I have come in the last year.
The Goss.ie party was the marking of a brand new chapter for me and everyone at the company... and it was nice to say goodbye to the first year in business.
12 months ago I set out to create something that hadn't been done before, it was a risk and I had no idea how I was going to run a company, train staff, expand and edit stories all without taking a break.
I never imagined I would be running the company on my own, but I believe everything happens for a reason, and if I got through the last few months I think I can get through everything.
Although things didn't entirely work out as planned right now the site is everything I want it to be, and there is so much more to come.
It's easy to share images at fancy parties and show off free products, but being in this business isn't easy, and although the title of CEO and Editor sounds fun, it's been a very tough year.
There were times at the start of the business where I genuinely couldn't afford the Luas into work, I couldn't put petrol in my car, I could barely afford food for the week...but I kept going because I believed in what I was doing.
Before I left to start up Goss.ie I was in a cushy job, with a great salary, and suddenly I wasn't able to get taxis anymore or go home to visit my family... every cent was going into the business and it had to be that way.
Weeks would go by before I even got a few hours off and I was overwhelmed and exhausted, but I kept reminding myself of the bigger picture.
And months later the bigger picture is nearly formed and business is better than ever.
We are working with several brands in the coming months, new advertising campaigns and a new focus, which will all be gradually rolled out.
On Thursday night we announced that we have new sections on the site: a Beauty section with product reviews and how-to videoes, a dedication section for Goss TV - where we will now post daily showbiz segments and a new lifestyle and travel section called We Love - where we will post features on hotels, restaurants, travel destinations and much more.
See all the pics from the Goss.ie Party
We also announced that model and former Big Brother star Hazel O'Sullivan will now write a weekly Showbiz Column on the site - sharing her week and her reaction to the big showbiz stories.
And we have also welcomed model and fashionista Jo Archbold to the team - who will be writing a weekly Style Diary starting next week.
There are more changes to come on the Goss.ie site too, and expansion plans are only at the beginning stages.
I know I said it on the night but again I want to thank my family for sticking by me, my true friends who have supported me this year and to those who have become more than friends and transformed into mentors and life coaches.
Some people might overlook the difficulties I have faced, but my family and friends have seen it all and have been there for me every step of the way.
Sometimes I forget what I've done and how this has all happened. The plan for the summer is to try and find some time to take a few days off, take a breath and focus on the present...and how great everything is going.
I'm getting a few days away in Greece so I will take some moments to relax in between running the site from the pool side.
I often get asked what advice I have for young entrepreneurs and honestly I feel like I'm learning something new everyday.
All I can say is if you really have enough ambition anything is possible. It's still early days for Goss, but I won't stop until I reach all my goals with the business (and there's a lot, trust me).
It's been a terrifying, stressful, difficult year but it's also been one of the best years of my life.
They say the first year in business is the most difficult so I'm looking forward to a slightly less stressful year ahead.
I have so many plans, so many dreams and an endless amount of ambition, so watch this space.
Ali
x
Dreaming, Believing, and seriously Werking...
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