‘Christmas is all about family, friends, and cosiness’ – A Life I Choose Founder Emma Hogg

As another insanely unpredictable year nears its conclusion, there’s no better period than that Christmastime-induced work lull to embark on a short journey of self-reflection.

For some, this might mean comparing and contrasting the year’s expectations and outcomes, whilst others might write-up a list of resolutions or aims to strive towards throughout the following year.

 ‘A Life I Choose’ Founder Emma Hogg does all that whilst leaving ample time to spend with those that matter the most.

“My parents always made Christmas really special for my siblings and I. Even though my mum insists that she detests Christmas – don’t ask me why. She always decorated the house beautifully and gave us super thoughtful gifts,” Emma tells MaltaCEOs.mt.

“My father was typically extra jolly around Christmastime; he’d play festive movies and cook for us. In short, Christmas for me is warm… it’s all about family, friends, and cosiness,” she continues.

More than anything, the festive season makes it easier than ever for Emma and her family to spend some extended quality time together.

“Our festivities begin on Christmas Eve, when we head to my brother’s place. The evening’s full of presents and embarrassing games that my sister-in-law puts us up to,” Emma recounts.

“On Christmas day we see as many family members as we possibly can. It’s a long day, but it’s full of laughter and love. At the end of the day – provided we still have energy – Pete and I exchange gifts, if not, we look forward to the them next morning,” she continues.

Speaking of gifts, Emma couldn’t help but mention the one Christmas gift she’s ‘most proud of giving: “a flight to the Netherlands and a ticket to a Wim Hof workshop,” which she gave to her husband.

Despite that both the flight and the workshop got cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it still made Emma “feel good that [she] could give [her] husband a gift that really lit him up.”

In general, 2021 has been a particularly formative year for Emma – and not for the reasons you might expect. This year introduced the ‘A Life I Choose’ Founder to all the joys and challenges of giving birth to and raising your first child.

“Instead of setting resolutions, at the beginning of each year I set my personal and professional for the upcoming year. Last year, my focus was to grow from being a freelancer into becoming a business owner – I wanted to stop trading my time for money by generating more passive income streams, and I wanted to challenge myself to expand as a leader and as an entrepreneur,” Emma recalls.

“I also set the target to create a more flexible lifestyle for myself so that I could be present with my son and continue to grow by business. Now, I’m very happy to say I’ve achieved this. In 2022 my focus will be on expanding the business further, growing our audience and client base internationally, and strengthening my body again after childbirth,” she continues.

It is in light of this that Emma predicts “a hell of a lot of growth” will fall upon her and her company this coming year.

“The challenges that came with COVID-19 and lockdowns have forced people to ask themselves what they’ll ‘no longer settle for’ and they really want for their lives. A lot of people have resigned from their jobs, ended relationships, and joined some sort of wellness program. More than ever before, people want more for their quality of life,” Emma reflects.

“People want to stop selling their time for money and build a life on their own terms. Whilst the will is fantastic, going about creating the change is challenging – so much so that the majority of people don’t know where to start from,” she exclaims.

This works out perfectly for Emma, as her industry seeks to “guide and challenge people to grow to their fullest potential.” “We mirror to them who they are so that their self-believe carries them forward to build lives they’re super proud of,” she concludes.

This interview forms part of a series by MaltaCEOs.mt that catches up with the country’s business leaders to get a glimpse of how they’ll be celebrating this holiday season.