And now we rest.

And Now We Rest

As this year comes to a close, my team and I are about to embark on a week off to spend time with our loved ones and get a chance to pause and reflect before the New Year begins.

This is a ritual I established when I started this company, because it is what I wished I had when I worked in the corporate world. A whole week off during the holidays with my family, without having to worry about whether or not I had accrued enough PTO to take it.?

As 2022 winds down, I am reflecting on the lessons I’ve learned from my experiences as a leader and entrepreneur this past year, and from the many amazing women I've met along the way.

?One message came through loud and clear:

?Rest often—there is always more work to be done, more things to learn, more to accomplish.

I share this as someone who is an Enneagram 3, a textbook high achiever, whose idea of downtime includes knocking out a 2000 pieces puzzle in a day.

Needless to say, rest is something that is new to me, but my hope is it’s something I’ll continue to work on and learn about in the year ahead.?

What I’m learning about, particularly after a multi-month experience of burnout that hit me this past summer, is that I can’t sustain my company working in big sprints only to collapse at the finish line.

The work my company does is sort of like running a marathon, except there’s no end in sight anytime soon. This means that my team and I have to figure out ways to energetically support ourselves in the long run.?

Some wise women who came on our podcast this year taught me important lessons that I’m taking with me into 2023:?

1.?Ariel Belgrave?taught me that recovering from burnout is about learning how to identify and eliminate stressors so we have more energy and a better sense of how to manage them.?

2.?Carolina Flores?reminded me of the power of creating support systems that can ensure you don’t have to do it all and have the capacity to still be present for your family.

3.?Karly Sirocky?showed me how important it is for creative entrepreneurs to make fun a priority and regular practice in order to do our best work.

4.?Michelle Keefe?and I agreed that women must rebuild the workplace to work?for?them, and that we can create careers that allow us the flexibility we need to have the capacity to care for ourselves and others.?

5.?Jazmin Alvarez?spilled the tea on all the amazing products and habits we as founders can bring into our lives to ensure that we’re practicing sustainable self-care.

I hope you enjoy these nuggets of wisdom during your holiday downtime—as always, I’m curious to know what your own entrepreneurial journey has taught you about the power and importance of rest.

?Give me a shout if you want to share.

?I’ll see you in the New Year.

?Happy Holidays!?

— Madeline