Mapping the Journey: Greatest Hits of 2024
Photo: ErikBevaart on Canva
It’s hard to believe that 2024 is already on its way out the door—what a year! Since moving to Austin and starting Enharmonic Encounters, I’ve developed a mantra for celebrating wins. Even the smallest bit of progress made toward a larger goal should be recognized, to build momentum and sustain motivation to tackle the next steps. Remaining true to my naturally humble disposition, my propensity has always been to celebrate the wins of others—and with considerable fervor—while paying little attention to my own achievements.
Well, the truth of the matter is that 2024 has been replete with significant victories, both for me and for Enharmonic Encounters. As a business owner, it can often seem as though there’s no time to celebrate wins because there’s always more work to be done, so I have to keep moving. Still, what’s certain is that the to-do list will not suddenly grow legs and run away; it will still be there later. So, after all we’ve been through, allow me the indulgence of reflecting on our five greatest hits of 2024.
1. Expanding Our Impact
Enharmonic Encounters is very intentional about serving purpose-driven companies, and we’ve succeeded in growing our client portfolio accordingly. It was with immense pride and humility that I joined B Lab U.S. & Canada’s Level program as its newest consultant, a responsibility I do not take lightly. Contributing to this program could not be more aligned with the impact Enharmonic Encounters aims to generate in the world, and it starts with addressing race and representation. It has been the highlight of the year to work with Tatiana Gomez, Founder and CEO of Ceres Market, on preparing her company for B Certification. Guided by its North Star of environmental stewardship, Ceres facilitates our wider transition to a circular economy by increasing access to low-waste living solutions.
Keep an eye out for Ceres. We’ve submitted the company’s B Impact Assessment for review and are awaiting next steps!
We’ve been equally proud to assist Restaurant Beatrice in becoming one of the newest Certified B Corporations in Texas. There aren’t many full-service restaurants in the B Global Network, so this one hits differently. Obtaining Certification was no easy feat. In fact, it was a multiyear endeavor. When all roads seemed to lead to a dead end, Restaurant Beatrice trusted us to support them. They have quite the story behind what we now celebrate as a significant victory—a victory that we ultimately see as an inspirational invocation of something much larger than ourselves in the independent restaurant industry.
These two major accomplishments are only the beginning, and our work continues. I’m now thrilled to announce that Enharmonic Encounters is supporting National Co+op Grocers (NCG) on its 2026 Recertification cycle! As a veteran in the B Global Network, NCG leverages its services and vast network to support the co-op operations of its members across the United States, providing the vision, leadership, and systems to catapult a virtual chain of food co-ops to a position of prominence in the natural food industry.
We are very pleased to join NCG’s journey, and with plenty of time to spare! Even though NCG’s Recertification date is for the beginning of 2026, we are planning to submit the B Impact Assessment six months ahead of time to remain compliant with B Lab U.S. & Canada’s updated Recertification protocol.
2. The Encounter
As of late, one thing I’ve been sharing with anyone who will listen is that Enharmonic Encounters now has a newsletter! Since its inaugural edition on September 9, 2024, The Encounter has been inspiring the world by disseminating the positive social and environmental impact Enharmonic Encounters is generating through its operations.
While we do cover topics related to our core expertise in assisting companies to become Certified B Corporations and in translation and interpreting, we’ve also been very deliberate in our content curation. “By Us: The Beauty of Black-Owned,” a section that spotlights Black women business owners, has become an immediate staple of the newsletter. So far, we’ve featured the following Black women:
• Asha Wheeldon from Kula Foods
• Elizabeth M’balu Oke from PivotPath
• Angela Gordon from Full Vida Counseling LLC
Check out our latest newsletter edition from Giving Tuesday! And should you feel led, subscribe to The Encounter and accompany us on our journey of continuous improvement in building bridges toward a more unified world. Tell a friend and share with another one!
3. Cultivating Community
One of my biggest objectives for Enharmonic Encounters this year has been to expand our presence and visibility in the networks and communities that align with our values. As such, I’ve had the immense privilege of attending six conferences this year:
• B Lab U.S. & Canada’s Champions Retreat
• City of Austin Small Business Connection Conference
• 1% for the Planet Global Summit
• American Translators Association’s 65th Annual Conference
• AFROTECH24
Each of these conferences was unique in its own way, and I certainly took something of value every time. Not only the subject matters discussed, but the individuals I met and the community I’ve cultivated have all proven to me that attending these conferences was the right decision.
4. Becoming More of a Leader
For as long as I’ve been aware of translation and interpreting (T&I) as a profession, I’ve known the American Translators Association’s (ATA) Annual Conference to be the premier forum for everything related to what we do as language professionals. In general, I had always seen conference speakers held in high regard as leaders of the profession.
I never really imagined myself in this position, but this year had other plans. As a regular conference attendee over the last few years, one thing I noticed was that the pillars and concepts surrounding B Certification had never been discussed much, if at all, in T&I spaces. The thought suddenly came to me that maybe I had something different to offer, something that could secure a primetime presentation slot. ATA agreed.
At the ATA 65th Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon, I presented Be the B: Building a Sustainable Future through B Certification, where I explained what a Certified B Corporation is, how B Certification is obtained, and how language professionals might target new client segments. Presenting at this year’s conference allowed me to build greater cohesiveness among the service combinations that distinguish Enharmonic Encounters as unique. I’ve been proud to not only grow in the B Global Network but also translate the relevance of that work within other spaces.
5. On the Move: To Be Interpreted
As I’ve grown in the T&I profession, one thing I’ve always thought about doing was establishing interpreting—that is, rendering the spoken word in real time, versus engaging the written word—as a flagship service offering for Enharmonic Encounters. Years of wondering and fantasizing finally turned into action in March this year when I enrolled in Interpret2b’s (i2B) preparatory course for future conference interpreters (PerCurso Regular em Interpretação de Conferência).
Interpret2b is led by Marcelle de Souza Castro and Mylene Queiroz-Franklin, two seasoned practitioners who also serve on the faculty at Glendon Campus of York University’s Master in Conference Interpreting program. This year-long dive into the world of interpreting through the PerCurso Regular has shown me that, yes, I have what it takes to achieve success in this profession, and I believe I can do it. I couldn’t be more excited to continue developing these skills and integrate them into Enharmonic Encounters’ service offerings over time.
Stay tuned for details on my i2B capstone presentation in 2025: a live online event where my colleagues and I will be interpreting lectures and speeches in real time! You’ll have a chance to experience up close and personal the convergence of different languages, cultures, and subject matters, the true essence of bridge-building toward a more unified world. All are welcome, and world language skills are not a requirement.
All of these achievements lead me to believe that 2025 will be the best year yet, and I can’t wait to share further progress with you!
