That said, inspired by a blog post of a colleague, instead of dwelling on the awful, I will highlight some of the spectacular.

In no particular order:

Media Madness: my media appearances and quotes were fairly incredible.  I taped segments for Good Morning America and The Today Show on the same morning (talking about the future of Crocs).  There’s something rather satisfying about being ferried by limo between the ABC studios and 30 Rock.  I was quoted in scores of outlets including first time quotes in the Wall Street Journal (on small businesses channeling their Twitter voice) and TIME magazine (Black Friday).  An AP story I was quoted in on golf fashion was picked up in over 400 publications which was trippy in and of itself, not to mention the Tiger Woods stories and talking about the Syfy rebranding on CNN International.

Style, style and more style.  Becoming a People Style Watch expert along with the A-List kids like Tim Gunn and Stacy London was mind boggling.  Meeting Calvin Klein was fun.  Checking out Lady Gaga at her gaga-est was equally amusing.  Starting to write a style column for MSN was a blast and you can read the first five articles here. (and here, here, here and here.)

Personal Branding and Image Consulting: In my previous life I worked as a celebrity makeup artist and helped the rich and famous look fabulous.  In my current incarnation I regularly advise businesses and high worth individuals on their overall marketing and promotional strategies.  As marketing budgets dwindled, individuals realized that they needed help crafting or retooling their personal brands.  It was incredibly satisfying to meet and work with fascinating people on rediscovering and projecting their best brand and image.

Speaking and Seminars: I regularly speak on a variety of subjects ranging from business etiquette and manners, to personal branding and small business and marketing strategies.  Before every public appearance I generally have a moment of sheer panic wondering what possessed me to want to speak in front of a crowd.  This year I was fortunate enough to have some incredible speaking gigs including the American Society of Journalists and Authors annual conference as well as a series of lectures and workshops in conjunction with New York University on personal brands for both new grads, the career center and NYU alumni.  Oh. And an ongoing series of executive workshops  for a top technology company who shall remain nameless (due to my contract) I so wish I could tell you about that one.

So here’s the ultimate lesson learned from the year that was.  Things were tough in 2009.  In fact, I can’t remember a year that was quite this difficult personally or professionally.  That said, I choose to look at the lessons I learned (I’ll spare you the preachiest ones) and the incredible highs that get me through the toughest times.

Rachel, who wishes you only the best of the best in 2010