You Are Not a Machine — Or Are You?

Before I start this end-of-the-year edition, I wanted to share 2 invites with you:

• Ready to grow your business in 2025 in a way that aligns with your values and purpose — in a way that truly feels right for you? The Conscious Marketing Movement and Humble Mind are teaming up to bring you the Conscious Mind Summit . Learn more here: https://www.conscious-mind-summit.com/

• Thinking about starting your journey as an angel investor to support women-led, impact-driven startups? Check out the Thousand Faces Angel Investing Program run by Moojan Asghari and her team. You're welcome to use my affiliate code CLAUDIA20 to get a 20% discount. Learn more here: https://thousandfaces.art/angel-program

Now, let’s get started!

As we approach the end of 2024, I want to take a moment to reflect on the year — not with a polished highlight reel, but with honesty, openness, and all its contradictions. It’s been a mix of growth and struggle, excitement and exhaustion, clarity and uncertainty. This is a candid look back at the wins, the challenges, and the messy middle where the real lessons live.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably felt the pull to do more, achieve more, and be more.?

But this reflection from Nicola Jane Hobbs has been on my mind lately:

"Productivity may be a helpful way of measuring the efficiency of machines, but it is a meaningless way of judging our worth as human beings." — Nicola Jane Hobbs

Let that sink in for a moment.

How often do you feel like your value is tied to how much you get done??

As marketers, creatives, or entrepreneurs, we give so much of ourselves to growing businesses, leading teams, or crafting campaigns. But we become so fixated on "performance metrics" that they start to shape not only our work but also how we see ourselves.

Do you ever feel this way?

This is a reminder I need to hear myself, and perhaps it’s one you need too:

• You are more than your productivity.
• You are more than your mistakes.
• You are enough, just as you are.

A year of growth and momentum

2024 has been an intense year for the Conscious Marketing Movement (CMM). From facilitating thought-provoking conversations inside the community and hosting online events to travelling for in-person engagements, networking across platforms,?onboarding new partners, announcing a coliving retreat, and even?launching a podcast?— there’s been so much growth and momentum.

All of this has been done while striving to make a high impact with limited resources.

I’ve been balancing CMM with freelance contract work to keep things running, and it hasn’t been easy. I’m incredibly thankful for the support of European Women on Boards (EWOB) , one of my freelance clients.

But my vision for 2025 is clear: for CMM to flourish independently — without relying on my personal income or savings to sustain it.

As changemakers, many of us face the challenge of building something that aligns with our values while still making it financially viable. It’s not easy, but it’s possible.

And maybe you’ve been on a similar path — a mix of excitement and exhaustion...??

Looking ahead to 2025

Through it all, CMM has been a labour of love. None of it would be possible without our amazing team, partners, and community members. Truly, it takes a village to raise a business.

That's why, in 2025, we'll focus on launching new services, developing new collaborations, and deepening our existing partnerships. And who knows — you might even see us welcoming new co-founders in the months ahead!

Time for reflection and compassion to close out the year

Now, as we close out this year, let me ask you:

When was the last time you gave yourself permission to rest?

You are not a machine. — Or are you?

Rest is essential for anyone working to create meaningful change.

That’s why, every winter at CMM, we step back to recharge and reconnect with what matters most — our families, our friends, and ourselves.

And this holiday season, we encourage you to take a pause, too. Whether it’s celebrating traditions, spending time with loved ones, or simply taking a moment to breathe, rest is a gift you deserve.

And if you’re in a different part of the world experiencing a different season, we hope you find your own unique ways to unwind and embrace the beauty around you.

This newsletter will return in the new year. Until then, thank you for being part of this journey, and enjoy the holiday season. ??

With gratitude ??

Claudia Guerreiro

A special mention to...

• Our partners: Anja von Emden , Alex Searle , Maja Nenadov Webster , Sarah Santacroce , James Gill , Fab Giovanetti , Zsidai Zsuzsanna
• Our team members: Antoinette Jade , Alya Annabi , Carol Constant , Catarina Monteiro , Daiva Dominyka , Gabriella Yan , Gisel Romero , Holly Naylor , Inês Wellenkamp Jales , Jo D. , Lia Mladenova , Melanie Puck , Monica S. , Sarah Kaddar , Shreya Krishnan , Stephanie Moore , Catarina Monteiro , Tereza Pávková , Verónica Lawson Vilches & Olalla Negrete Aguilera

And, of course, a huge thank you to all the CMM Members — over 60 of you (too many to tag, but you know who you are!).??