Black Friday, in my mind, is hoards of people shoving through the entrance of a big box store, trampling other humans to get the best deal on a massive tv. 

It’s endless ads and reminders between every TV show to buy buy buy and buy some more for every person you’ve ever met.

It’s especially the people who are forced to work during the holidays or risk losing their job instead of being at home also enjoying paid time off.

I want to avoid every bit of it, however, as a business owner I can’t ignore that IT IS also the time of year when most people are spending a shit ton of money. If we’re not showing up with our businesses, they will spend it somewhere else. Like Target. Ew.

In order to remind everyone to avoid big bullshit stores with their fake discounts, we need make sure people are seeing more small businesses in their feed.

It’s time for me to spill the second part of the new era of Dare to Grow!!

Something that I've been seeking myself and something that transports me all the way back to the beginning of my blogging and website building journey. Which makes it feel even more like the right direction!

When I was content planning for this year I wanted to include more trending business news (for SEO purposes) so I went searching for big magazines and blogs that support small business owners. 

I popped them all into a feed reader and the next day, sitting with my matcha and laptop in bed, my heart sank as the articles populated. Post after post, magazine after magazine…every single one was about AI. I went publication by publication, deleting the ones that were just AI-related until there was nothing left.

I’m intentionally using mild language in this post because I know you’ve heard all the details and don’t need more. 

Working this past week has been difficult. We keep finding ourselves in unprecedented times, unearthing deeply rooted, horrifying issues in our society. It feels unnatural to keep going. To send the post about “showing up before anyone is listening” feels frivolous. 

I started college while Take Back The Night rallies happened all over the country. I protested, I shared resources with other women, I carried a weapon. I made it into my 30s before I joined the statistic.

I am every version of angry and sad over the fact that girls heading to school are STILL required to have part of their brain focused on SAFETY. I’m sick for every mother with a daughter in college or headed that way.

It feels like a black hole that sucks up all our experiences and makes them irrelevant.

So for the third time in the past 10 years I’m writing about how to keep your business going while the world (and maybe your world) is full of grief and pain.

In the past 14 years I’ve: Hustled my face off as a new business owner (slash circus performer) escaping my corporate job. I found my sweet spot in San Diego as I hyperfocused on growth (my email list hit 22k holy moly). Then I let my undiagnosed ADHD take over, said yes to every opportunity, produced every idea I had (mostly alone). And finally I burned out like a champ. First place with honors, don’t collect $100, go straight to your parents house and stay there for two years.

That was in 2023.

Today I’m back in San Diego with my pup and partner and vowing to never work myself into the ground again. 

The short simple answer for how  I’m doing that is: habits and setting boundaries with myself.

The tough part is sticking to it even when I don’t want to (ADHD is wildly unhelpful) and remembering it’s okay to go slow when I have the motivation, ideas, and energy to push forward.

Finally moving into the office now that the bookshelves are in, adding to my endless list of books I need to fill them, working on a printed product in Canva (you can see a tiiiiny peek of the test print in one of the photos), obsesssssed with the new office rug and excited to paint the walls not-grey, pulled out all my charm bracelet supplies for an art project, listening to The Telepathy Tapes podcast, and somehow taught Hazey to clean up her own toys by telling her I need the floor cleared to vacuum.

QUESTION: What keeps you going on your worst days? Not like motivational things but tangible actions for when you feel like calling it quits.

At the beginning of my business, when things got tough, I’d just have a huge meltdown. I’d spend many hours crying and then wake up the next day, put on my big girl pants, and get back to it. I was going after every opportunity and I was wearing myself out. That was not the best choice.

Now, 14 years in my answer is totally different. When I have a garbage day (or week or month) I take a break because my business that I created should not be giving me terrible days. I make the rules and I can change them.

The best thing to do on a bad day is to take the pressure off.

Recently a client told me, “You sound so good on video.” A compliment which I proudly accept because despite all the videos I’ve posted, all the lives I’ve hosted, all the coaching, and workshops I’ve done…I have a very dark public speaking past.

A seventh grade memory is still burned into my brain. Teaching my entire English class how to wrap a gift, 30 pairs of judgy eyes, finishing in record time so I could be back in my chair as soon as possible. 

In my senior year of college I stood in front of a women’s studies class, the papers in my hand visibly shaking, not taking my eyes off the page until I was back in my seat. 

I interviewed for a job in my 20s during which they asked if I would be comfortable presenting projects to C-level management.

After hustling through my 20s and 30s, spiraling into burnout, along with a late-ADHD diagnosis, my business in 2026 HAS to run differently. 

I literally spent two years in my parents guest room, watching everything on every streaming platform, recovering from my own life. I like to say if you don’t take a break, a break will take you because it absolutely will and recovery will take longer than you think.

Since coming back to San Diego last October I’ve been intensely paying attention to how my brain and body work in relation to running my business. 

One thing became clear - I cannot work during my luteal phase.

I have zero drive to work. My ability to focus enough to edit blog posts whittles to nothing. I stare at the screen wondering if the post I’ve almost finished is actually garbage. Being perceived on social media feels

With the redesign of the Dare to Grow website, my new green bob, and the YEARS since my last brand update, it was time for new photos!

Taking photos for your business and website can be as easy as propping up your phone and standing in the good light when you feel cute one day. Or hiring a photographer to take photos at home, on location, or in a studio and guide you every step of the way.

But it can also be totally stressful, awkward, and an expense that feels slightly indulgent. (it’s not!)

Have you watched House of Stassi? It’s a reality show on Hulu featuring the life, friends, and family of Stassi Schroeder which you may know from Vanderpump Rules.

During the first episode of her new show, Stassi hosts a panel at an event by Alex Cooper, host of the wildly popular Call Her Daddy podcast. 

Meeting before the event the two women hug and the first words out of Stassi’s mouth are:

“You have to tell me what part of your life is suffering. I know part of your life is suffering. I’m a horrible friend, shit sister, husband wishes I had sex more.”

She’s been dying to know if Cooper, the best selling author, podcaster, Youtube show host, owner of the Unwell brand, and star of her own show Call Her Alex, is also struggling as her career continues to soar.

It’s time! The website is done, new photos are up, and I’m very excited to launch not just the new website but a new era for Dare to Grow. ::confetti:: 

I spent the last three months hiding from the heat while I reimagined and redesigned Dare to Grow. I spent a lot of time with my journal asking questions and what I kept coming back to looks a lot like where I started…blogging.

The thing that launched my business in the first place was a blog post. Not even a sales page. Just “I designed my blog, want me to design yours?” and off we went.

I didn’t have an email list and social media was in its infancy. But I managed to grow a business big enough (along with some circus income) to leave my corporate job and stay in business for over 14 years and counting! 

Q: I am overwhelmed by everything on my plate right now. I have lists and calendars everywhere and I still feel unorganized.

A: My recommendation is to brain dump, organize, and prioritize.

At the start of each month create one master list: business admin, marketing, clients tasks, personal stuff, all of it.

Next divide the list by date: things that need to happen this week, this month, this quarter, and someday.

Then, focusing on just this month, separate them back into biz and personal lists and prioritize. Things that have a deadline or generate income go first. Finish your client mockup and send that email to your list!

If your business is feeling more overwhelming than exciting, this is the post for you. Working from home, building your own business is supposed to an adventure. Freedom to be creative, work with who YOU want, wherever and whenever you want!

But year after year solopreneurs come to me with a pile of notes, an endless to-do list, multiple calendars, with client, admin, and personal tasks all needing attention. They’re so overwhelmed. They have no idea where to start. It all feels important and urgent. 

Here are the seven things I recommend starting with to begin the process of de-stressing your business.

No. 1 - Turn off notifications: This is something I did years ago, the first time I came to San Diego on vacation. I’d been working for myself for a year and it was the first time I went completely offline.

I sat down today to MAKE A SURVEY for my audience but then I opened my inbox for a password and here’s what I did instead:

I noticed that I had an email from one of the companies I’m an affiliate for. I needed to update my affiliate link for a new 30 day promotion.

So I opened my Squarespace to update my website’s resources page and remembered I wanted to update my homepage photo. Tested multiple photos, decided I didn’t like any of them and put back the original.