I want to share a piece of my heart with you this week. You may remember that a year ago I posted this photo on Instagram.

First of all, holy woah different brand vibe! But second of all, holy authenticity. This post was 10 days after my breakup with K and that amazing trip to Thailand. I was in pain, I was crushed, I was broken.

A year, though. A year makes all the difference.

LESSONS LEARNED.

In that post above, I wrote the following: "We are responsible for the results of our decisions and we have to make the decisions that make the most sense for us."

Having a year of distance from that experience has made so many things clear to me. As I sit here a year later and reflect on everything that's happened, that breakup was almost a metamorphosis. That life changing event, no matter how painful, served as the preliminary catapult that launched me to where I am today. 12 months ago, I would never have imagined that I'd be in this place. 12 months ago, I had no idea that I could be an international speaker, a sought after marketing strategist, a podcaster, someone that people looked up to, someone that was respected. 12 months ago, my brand wasn't even my name, the idea of nomad life hadn't even crossed my mind, and the concept of charging what I was worth was so foreign to me that my partner was helping me decrease the amount of my quotes because she (and by proxy, I) believed that I didn't need to be charging that much. I was in love with someone who saw my business and the fire in my heart for entrepreneurship as something that hindered my ability to be human. Talk about gut-wrenching.

MY CHALLENGE TO YOU:

I say all this to tell you that starting over wasn't easy. Separating my identity from hers, finding my true self again, it was all a fight and I was barely keeping my head above water (hence the late project delivery).

I also say all this to say it was worth it. If you're struggling to see your true self, know that it's okay for you to just begin again, too. Take that first breath, then take the leap. Anyone who's experienced the feast and famine of entrepreneurship will tell you that

1. you're not going to survive this rodeo without a couple barrelmen. Find entrepreneurs that you can be open and honest with. Find folks who will be open and honest with you. Build community and support one another. All of us will fail if we try and do this alone. I promise.
2. honesty is truly the best policy. You're already exhausted from working 80-hour workweeks to make your dream a reality. Add managing a web of lies on top of that and you'll drown. It's simply not worth it.
3. investing in yourself is the only way to go. Annie Franceschi talks about hiring help even when things are going great. Jenna Kutcher talks about making space for rest. Rachel Allene talks about running a heartfelt business. Each of these are investments in yourself - making sure you're supported, guaranteeing yourself some downtime, and helping yourself stay true to your ethics. Each element of investing in yourself is equally critical to succeeding.

It doesn't matter what you're reeling from right now - personal, professional, both. You will come out the other side and we're all here to be your community as you do it. I'm here.