AT celebrates its 5th birthday
It’s official, Avellana Translations is five years old! How did that happen? One day you are a volunteer translator dreaming of owning your own business and suddenly you’ve passed the five-year milestone. Where did the time go?
Setting up as a freelance translator was absolutely terrifying. In the beginning the business felt like a rickety old shed that I was constantly trying to hold up. If I turned my focus away from one aspect of the business for just a minute, another part of the shed would start to collapse, at the risk the whole thing would come falling down. But gradually, over time, each aspect of the business has slowly grown and has been reinforced, to the point that I can now stand back and be proud of what I have achieved. This does not mean there is not more work to be done, but at least now I know I can have a break for a week or two and it won’t collapse during my absence.
What have I achieved over the last five years?
Over the last five years, I have progressed from being a complete unknown in the translation industry, to someone who has started to gain an identity and a reputation. I have developed a brand, a website, I gained a number of clients (both direct and agency), and I have translated over 1 million words). On top of that, I have achieved 60 credits at master’s level and I’ve added Catalan to my profession language offering. – To be honest, now I see this written down, and can be more objective, I’m even happier with what I’ve achieved.
Whats next?
This year I’ve been concentrating on focusing down within medical translation, thinking about where my interests and experience lies within both nursing and translation so that I can specialise within more specific areas of translation. This way I can further focus my knowledge and learning and be the best I can. As well clinical trials and pharmacovigilence, routinely offered by medical translators, I specialise in nursing, neurology and gastroenterology to reflect my clinical experience. I am also fascinated by regenerative medicine and the potential this holds for the future of medical treatment as. Look out for future blogs on these subjects.
This year I have also begun to venture onto the conference circuit too, I started in February with the ELIA conference in Barcelona and will continue with the Tremédica Conference in April. It’s time to break out from behind the safety of my computer and get to know other translators in person.
Watch out too for some new headshots, an updated website and other marketing materials coming very soon.
I would like to thank everyone who has supported me over the last five plus years including all my clients and loads and loads of other people who have helped along the way – you know who you are.
This has been a long and at times difficult journey, but I would not change it for the world. I’ve never been happier. Oh, and what better way to celebrate than with an avellana [hazelnut] birthday cake!