Reader,
It’s been a few weeks since I’ve shown up here, and I thought about just sliding back in without saying anything.
But if you've been with me for a while, you know I talk a lot about how showing up consistently is critical to building trust... and disappearing without acknowledging it doesn’t sit quite right with me.
The truth is, I got tired.
Not just “I need a day off” tired, but the kind that builds slowly over time.
Week after week of driving back and forth to the mountains since December for ski practice, working in between in coffee shops, and filling every pocket of time (because… isn’t that what we’re supposed to do) really wore me down.
Underneath all of that, though, I was trying to figure out something in my business that I couldn’t make sense of. It wasn't a small tweak or a surface-level problem, but something more foundational to how I think and talk about my work. I could feel how important it was, but couldn't quite get it to land in a way that made sense.
If you’ve ever been in that place, you know how frustrating it is.
At this point in most of our businesses (almost 14 years for me), the problem isn't about more effort or discipline.
That kind of frustration is almost always a sign that clarity that hasn’t fully surfaced yet, and that you're sitting a moment that is, whether you like it or not, also deeply consequential.
And no matter how capable, smart, or successful you are, you can’t always think your way to it from inside the same perspective that created the problem. (Yes, yes, I know you can’t read the label from inside the bottle.)
Knowing that, though, doesn’t make it any less frustrating when you’re in it.
So instead of forcing it, I took a step back, got support from a strategic thought partner, and gave myself permission to slow things down.
I’m coming out of this purposeful pause with a deeper conviction about the work I’m here to do, and how I want to do it.
Interestingly, right in the middle of all of that, I was invited into something that pulled me out of my own head and back to the place I love most: impact and advocacy.
This week, I participated in Podcasthon, a global initiative bringing together thousands of podcast hosts to dedicate an episode to a charitable cause.
For my episode, I chose to highlight an organization I care deeply about: Days for Girls International.
Half the world’s population menstruates, and yet millions of girls, women, and menstruators still don’t have access to basic menstrual products, education, or safe facilities.
Period poverty isn't just a health or education issue.
It's a dignity issue.
A workforce participation issue.
An economic issue.
When girls miss school or women miss work because they don’t have access to menstrual care, the ripple effects are massive.
What I love about Days for Girls is that they’re not just addressing the need; they're working to solve the problem at its root.
Their work shifts the model of support from charity to agency and from temporary relief to long-term economic empowerment.
They’re creating access and supporting women-led enterprises around the world.
If period poverty is something you’ve never thought about before, or something you care about and want to understand more deeply, I’d love for you to listen to this episode!
Listen to the episode
Whew! This has gotten long, so let me end by saying this...
Over the next weeks and months, I'll be sharing more about how to navigate consequential moments with deep conviction, sharing some new resources, and doing all of that in a way that's also sustainable, aligned, and clear.
For now, I’m really glad to be back in conversation with you.
xo
Jess
P.S. If this episode resonates, I’d love to hear what stood out to you, and if you feel called to support Days for Girls, you can do so here.
P.P.S There are 2 spots remaining for the Built to Last Egypt Retreat, and I cannot freaking wait for all the juicy goodness that's in store for us! If you're curious, hit reply and I'm happy to share more!
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