The Shadow Hunter

Let me ask you this: have you ever had one of those moments where it has felt like your old self is literally in a boxing match with your new self? Where there's a part of you that's clinging to the past like Jack hanging on to the door in the Titanic and your new self is prying it off, finger by finger saying, "LET IT GO, why are you still hanging on to this?!" (Poor Jack.) Yup. I've lived through several of those moments. And they aren't fun, but they are important. Because it not only allows you to see how far you've come, it allows you see what part of you  -- you've outgrown. I outgrew my old life, and I had one very specific, very maddening "tower moment" that made it all blatantly clear. Let's dive in... I've owned and operated my own brand strategy business for about 6 years, working mainly with major advertising agencies as a freelance strategist.  There was one project that nearly cost me my sanity, but it was -- as the univ...

Sometimes purpose feels...slippery. We're told to “pursue” it, like it’s some distant prize. But purpose is more like... a partnership. It asks for your curiosity and your willingness to grow. Sometimes we know what it is. Sometimes it finds us after a loss or challenge. Sometimes it’s been quietly calling us since we were kids. For me, I think I was always meant to be an entrepreneur. To work for myself. Fun fact: I started my first business at age 11 (well, technically 11 and a half — that half mattered to me). What kind of business does an 11-year-old have?  Not many. But I was determined. Babysitting seemed like a solid start. I begged my parents to let me take the Red Cross babysitting course, even though you technically had to be 12.  My mom convinced them I was “very mature” (and maybe I was… or maybe I just really wanted this). I devoured every book from the library — from The Ultimate Babysitting Guide to The Babysitters Club .  I made flyers, knocked on d...

Have you ever had one of those moments...where it feels like everything is falling apart? You know.  Where you're standing on a cliff edge, unable to see or sense what comes next... I've got a little secret.  The chaos you're feeling? It’s not here to destroy you. It’s here to set you free . Right now, the world is asking us to shed the old ways of surviving...so we can step into a truer way of living. If you’re in the thick of it, if the ground beneath your feet feels shaky, this post is for you. Right now, things are INTENSE, my friends. I get it. Almost every single soul that I've talked to is undergoing some deep transformative experience.  Astrologically we have Mars in Leo in an opposition to Pluto in Aquarius.  This energy is about radical change that challenges the very core of how we operate on a subconscious level.  If you are going through something intense at the moment -- please know that it will pass.  Many of those I've spoken to recently...

BEEEEEP BEEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEEP Noooooo not AGAIN.  UGH.  My smoke alarm was wailing loudly, demanding I pay attention to whatever was causing that horrible smell in my kitchen. I raced downstairs in my pjs, hair half curled -- to hastily grab an oven mit and yank open the oven door.  Black smoke floated out of my oven around a sad piece of charred black sourdough f or the second time this week.  Craaaaap. I sigh as I carry the cookie sheet over to the trash bin and toss the toast, feeling dejected. And ...hungry.  I'm rushing out the door, and I don't have a toaster, so I have a habit of throwing my toast under the broiler on 550 degrees -- and walking away to go get ready for my day. Yeahhhh.  I know, this isn't the BEST pattern. It is one that has not served me well.  And usually results in burnt toast, a horrible smell, and a smoke alarm that very loudly announces juuust how much you screwed up at 7:30am. Fantastic. Here's the thing though. I burned...

Let me ask you a question. Who... or what... did you want to be when you grew up? Think back to when you were a child, when someone asked you this -- what was your first response? I know, it may seem silly.  But it's fun to do. Think back to when there was no pressure to be... anything. Did you want to be...an astronaut? Ms. America? The President of the United States? A deep sea diver? Mine was...a teacher. Yup. Specifically, a music teacher. I LOVED music. In fact, I still love to sing.  I took many years of piano lessons and though those didn't really catch on as much, I can still plunk out "Happy Birthday"and "Carol of the Bells"...surprisingly!! But...it was my beloved grandfather (who had HAD this job, once upon a time) who told me that it wouldn't bring me happiness. This honestly made me very sad at the time.  I wanted to be like him. I wanted to offer joy through music to people, as he did. But he told me that it would not make me a lot of mone...