Grief can be a good thing

Allowing yourself space to mourn can make your business stronger

Those who work closely with me know that I have a saying that I repeat often:?

There is no such thing as a business self and a personal self.?

In fact, the further I've gotten down my path of entrepreneurship, the more I've come to find that our businesses have a powerful way of putting exactly what we need in our path to elevate to our next chapter of growth.?

But I would say one of the most unexpected things that have shown up for me in my life over the last year that I've learned to navigate better because of my business is grief.?

The holidays are a heavy time for a lot of us.?

For me, this season also correlates to the passing of another year, as my Sagittarius self celebrates a birthday every December 2. It turns me mildly moody and reflective, remembering all that has unfolded over the year prior.?

I've been fairly forthcoming about my divorce, but the quiet thing I haven't said out loud until more recently is how much of it hinged on the decision to choose myself and my business over a partner who was never truly going to see or support me in either of those endeavors.?

And while there is a deep level of love, self-love, and liberation that comes from choosing oneself, it doesn't come without a great deal of loss.?

Loss has been the theme for so many I know over the past year, whether it was loved ones, bad business dealings, or simply shedding former iterations of ourselves no longer serving us.?

I look around and see so many of my friends and fellow entrepreneurs coming out of immense seasons of letting go. And with that, I know there comes a level at which grief starts to show itself at the surface, even if it's not an emotion we've deemed appropriate for doing business.?

Based on my own experience over the last few years I now believe mourning might be one of the most powerful things we can bring to the forefront in our work, because, after all, it's a huge part of what makes us human.?

For me, this past year has been a lot of reflecting and letting go of the ways of working that weren't aligned for me. In this process, I have uncovered that only by seeing and grieving them properly, have I been allowed to open up enough space for new life and light to come in.

So whether this year has been one of deep joy and satisfaction or one of shedding and seeing yourself through heavier times, know that I feel you and I am with you.?

For me, grief has always been a powerful teacher. It shows me something in my life matters.?

Whether it was a person, an idea, an opportunity, or an employee I lost or left behind, I know this emotion is always an indicator of the importance of the work I'm doing here in this world; the relationships I’m creating, the company I'm cultivating-that they actually matter to me and to those who come in contact with them.?

So with December on our doorsteps, my invitation for you is this:

If you need to, give yourself room to grieve as the year comes to a close.

Take time to reflect on what you’ve lost so you can also celebrate all you’ve gained and learned along the way.

It doesn't necessarily have to be a massive mourning, it can just be an opportunity to acknowledge, unpack, and put to rest the things heavy on our hearts to open ourselves up for even more meaning in the year to come.

- Madeline

So many of our clients that have come our way this past year, have said the same thing over and over:

That there was something about their content that didn't feel or sound like them.?

Here at Fearless Foundry , we believe deeply in the practice of human-centric marketing, because we believe that when done right, this kind of content has the power to make the world a better place. Whether you're looking for support in your social media, or want to connect with your audience in new and more meaningful ways in the New Year, we'd be honored to explore the idea of what human-centric marketing could look like for you. If you're uncertain what we mean by that idea, check out one of the blog posts that explores this topic in further depth.

Read some of our latest work on Human-Centric Marketing

So many of our followers and subscribers share a similar belief to us in the power and poignancy of community. That is why we're so excited to share about one of our dear partners, Inbal Claudio 's upcoming 6-week program to help entrepreneurs cultivate communities in intentional ways. A founder who has forged an amazing community of female entrepreneurs that is thousands of members strong, Inbal is offering this program as a pathway for business builders to expand their offerings through the power of community. You can learn more about the program and sign up using the link below.

Check out the Cultivate Your Community Program

Gift-giving is one of our primary love languages. We're big believers in being intentional with our dollars – that's why we took time again this year to cultivate a list of some of the companies that we believe are offering amazing products to the world in a way that is truly value-aligned. Each of our team members contributed to this incredible guide featuring amazing ways to shop small this holiday season. Check it out and make sure to pass it on to a friend who equally cares about being a conscious consumer and supporting brands that give back.

Download our Shop Small Guide