On March 3rd, 2010 I was sitting in the office at a real estate company with so much excitement and palpable anxiety as I was about to hit send for my very first newsletter. I had decided to take this huge dream I had, of sharing my story and using my talents to help others, and make it a reality. As I have mentioned many times before, this dream was completely unrealistic on every level and I had zero evidence for it ever being an actual possibility in my life. I just had a TON of faith and was intensely dedicated to working as hard as I possibly could to make it happen.
My initial dream was to have my own talk show and I thought that would take me ten years to manifest, but it only took 3. I am so humbled and proud that over the last 8 years I have had the incredible honor of hosting the talk show Naturally Beautiful on Z Living, being an on-air expert on QVC for the skincare company Fresh as well being a brand spokesperson for companies like Biossance, Dove, Naturopathica and many others. I also figured out a way to create events that showcased some of my favorite brands and nourished my audience and some of my favorite people. I have put out content that I can honestly say I am proud of and I have created a community that I am beyond honored to have cultivated.
I feel my discomfort rise a bit as I share some of my achievements with you but I am pushing passed that discomfort because if we don’t stop and celebrate ourselves, what’s the point of any of it?!
I have learned a lot over these last 8 years. Some of the lessons have been sweet and some have had a sour taste to them, but I wouldn’t trade them in for anything.
8 Things I have Learned From The Past 8 Years…
1. Relationships are everything. Anything I have ever gotten in my career is because I have invested time in creating a genuine relationship with a person or a brand. These relationships are not transactional, they are heart-centered. I remember when I became friends with the founder of Fresh, after he was on my talk show, and we had such a tremendous adoration for each other. I literally got the job to do QVC for him as we were walking down the street in Chelsea after dinner one night but I did NOT become friends with him for that reason. I befriended him because he’s brilliant, kind and inspiring. The work we got to do together was a total bonus and that’s how I relate to all of my business relationships.
2. Whatever you are completely certain about today, could change by tomorrow. I have always had such a strong conviction and felt so connected to my intuition throughout my life. But my business has been a great teacher for me and showed me that while my intuition guides me towards a direction, it doesn’t always mean that I know how it will turn out. That might sound obvious but trust me when I say it has NOT been for me at all!
3. You can pretty much never fail if you try. I tend to beat myself up so much when something doesn’t work out the way I had intended. I have launched programs and courses, written blogs and posted videos that I thought were epic and no one even noticed them. Ouch! It has taken me a lot of time to realize that doesn’t mean that I failed. It means that I have more evidence towards what my audience needs and this thing I just created isn’t it. Plot twist! Move on.
4. Vulnerability is Everything. People tend to think that vulnerability comes easily to me. Well loves, it really doesn’t. It’s super uncomfortable and consistently terrifying. I just can’t stand inauthenticity and the only way to show-up as my whole self is to be really vulnerable about where I am at. It is also a gift at the end of the day because I feel more connected to all of you when I share myself with you.
5. Making a difference is the whole point for me. While I have had a decent amount of success doing fun and exciting things, I realized around the election in 2016 that it’s just not enough for me to look cute and like my life is great through Instagram – no! I need to actually HELP people. That’s why I started the free Chronic (illness) Crew Facebook Group, which is basically my most favorite place on the internet. We get real about our struggles and how we are learning to thrive with a chronic illness and it’s completely breathtaking to witness.
6. If you’re not having fun, just stop. No but really just stop. We are doing this whole following our dreams and creating lives that we love thing to have true fulfillment and happiness, right?! But if we are miserable throughout the process we might as well call it quits and do something a lot easier that could potentially pay us a lot more money! If you’re going to do it, do it with joy and be sure to have some fun. I know that might not be possible in every minute but you can certainly strive for that.
7. It’s ok to take a break. So many times throughout the past 8 years, I really needed a break. The first time that came up for me I was panicked. Like, what will happen?! If I don’t post all the time or send out newsletters every week, will my whole business fail? The answer is NO. Your business needs the healthiest version of you and so that will most likely mean you will have to pause and take breaks from time to time. Relish in those moments, don’t spend them beating yourself up. Trust me, it’s ok!!
8. I can’t fulfill my dreams alone. Whether it’s needing to have a strong connection to God to get me through the low moments. Or having parents that always show up for me. Or having the BIGGEST cheerleading squad around with the most epic friends. I could not do anything I have done in my business without their love.
I also couldn’t have done anything I have over the past 8 years without each and every single one of YOU! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every instagram post you’ve liked, commented on or shared. For every comment you have ever left me on a blog (those are my absolute fave by the way). For every email you have sent me sharing how much something I wrote resonated with you or had an impact on you. For every event of mine you have ever attended or even sponsored. There isn’t a single day that goes by where I haven’t been present to the abundance I have in my life thanks to all of you.
Now I REALLY want to hear from you! Do you have a memory about these last 8 years that you are up for sharing with me below? I would love that! Whether it’s a small moment, a blog you always refer to or a time we met at an event I threw – let me know. Let’s celebrate together in the comments! Love you all, so much.