As I sit and reflect on what this year has brought and what I thought ‘my goals needed to be’ I realize I have created space this year to set ego aside and spread my wings bringing me closer to the person I truly am.
Isn’t it funny, we spend the first half of our lives running ahead of ourselves thinking we need to be something, reach something and gain more. As I’m closing out my 39th year of my life, I wish I truly stopped and appreciated who I am and what I am capable of. To see myself the way others see me and to love myself and the gifts I have to offer instead of thinking I need to do more or be more or find the answer through someone else. These words have been spoken to me throughout my 20’s and 30’s but it wasn’t until this year I felt it.
This year has felt like a portal. I started the year needing to meet a financial goal or I’d close the business. Then it was coming to terms with the need to leave LA where we lived for 7 years for something new.. even though I wasn’t clear where or what that meant for me, my family or my business. All while making a lifelong dream of visiting South America come true.
This came by giving myself a bit of grace in how that meant business would look through 2023. I started to prep products to make sure we had enough stock at our amazing fulfillment house, working closely with Jordynn (my VA, who has been a godsend for me!) in order to get a structure in place for when I’m away so I can enjoy my time exploring Colombia and Argentina with my family.
All the while putting our life in storage and free falling in trust with my husband, 3 year old and 7 year old, that we would land exactly where we needed to be.
We made an impromptu decision to take a 4-day trip to Austin as recommended by a friend who was moving here and knowing we had wanted to visit friends here for 2 years. So we packed up on the 30th of June, moved out of our LA home, said goodbyes to friends and family, came to Austin to celebrate the 4th of July and ended up finding a short term rental! I believe the Universe/ Higher Power/God sends us ideas and signs through our intuition and this was one of those moments of flow. This was the first sign that all the unknowns would, in fact, fall into place. Then we were off for 5 weeks, traveling through South America with our two kids.
All the while a friend in beauty offered to help me get our products into a manufacturer in LA that could meet all our requirements! In the summer pieces started to fall into place and the process of trusting was paying off.
After returning from an epic trip we road-tripped to our new hometown outside of Austin.
Now, it may all seem dreamy as everything on social media does but in all honesty, this year has cracked me open, made me appreciate what I have, what I’m capable of, highlighted the adaptability of my family, and thrown flint on our passion for travel and teaching our children through life experiences.
After only a few weeks of being in our new town, I explored my surroundings and felt inspired by the hype around small businesses and the support that came with it. So much so that I made a 360 turn and decided to take everything in-house again including shipping. This decision didn’t come lightly but it made me realize how resilient I can be and even when I think there is no room to maneuver you can always find space. I have started to focus on where I am and not believing I need my business to be more, or bigger to be better but that with time it, just like me, it will grow into the business I always intended it to be. Thoughtfully and quality crafted and grown through love and trust. I get to write notes to my customers that believe so deeply in my products and share the love.
This year has been the cherry on top when I stop and realize I did all this while raising 2 incredible humans and a dog, keeping my marriage alive and releasing a rose balm, 2 new candle scents, finishing a perfume course and finding my love for teaching people through makeup. It somehow feels like a coming home of sorts.
As I turn 40 and feel this powerful shift from who I always told myself I needed to be, to being in the right time and place and loving myself for my decisions, I can say that I have arrived. I say thank you to everyone who held me up and kept me going when I couldn’t see the path.
Here’s to 40.
