It’s been a while since I last posted, and writing an update has been on my mind for a while. 

Things are going mostly okay over here, but 2023 was a tumultuous year. 

My PR business went through some pretty major upheavals over the past 6 months that required a lot of my attention. 2023 was the slowest year in business I’ve had in almost a decade, which has been pretty f’ing stressful. 

But, I’m resilient and resourceful. I’ve been in tough situations before, and giving up is not an option. So, I’ve found ways to adapt. 

For starters, it forced me out of my comfort zone. It forced me to really look long and hard at my business. I’ve hated so many things about it for so long now, but I was comfortable, and couldn’t justify making any major changes. 

So,  the past 6 months were just the push I needed to  start pursuing some alternate goals and income streams that I’ve had for awhile…

I started doing some high-level PR consulting and training for brands and agencies about 6 months ago, which is taking off pretty quickly. I also started recording a PR training series for other brands and agencies, which should launch this spring. The training series I recorded in 2016 is still generating income and has over 1500 students, so I think an update here will be lucrative. And, I recently wrote an e-book, which should be published within the next month. 

The theme I’m noticing here is that I’m really good at teaching and training other people. And, I get to be myself and put my personality into what I’m doing…which I love! I’ve been so sick of having to present myself in an overly polished, corporate, boring way. It just isn’t me.

I also started writing the first few chapters of my memoir last month. This is something that’s called to me my entire life, and I believe I need to get my story out there. I don’t have a timeline for finishing it right now, but I’m hoping to get it done this year. 

Revisiting certain parts of my life is painful and exhausting, but I think my story will be relatable and (hopefully) inspiring. If nothing else, it will be cathartic! 

As I was writing this blog post, I just found out that I was accepted into the level 1 IFS (Internal Family Systems) training, which is one of my goals for 2024r. There’s a long waiting list and application process, so I’m super stoked for the opportunity. I’m not exactly sure how I’ll use this yet, but I know how valuable this modality is in helping people through trauma, and I’m excited to get certified. 

In other news, Dominic is doing well, but the ‘tween years are confusing! He’s not quite a kid anymore, but he’s definitely not an adult either.

He smells and he likes girls and he’s snarky all the time. He wants us around, but he’s also moody towards us pretty frequently. He wants to keep his toys in his room, but he refuses to play with them. Are we setting enough boundaries? Too many boundaries? Are we doing good enough? It’s such a rollercoaster!

He’s a great kid though, and he has a good group of friends. He’s doing well in school, he’s joined the student council at his school ,and he’s one hell of a guitar player. I’m so super proud of him. It’s hard to believe he’s 12 already!

Garrett is doing pretty well. There are still ups and downs, but since the cruise, there have been a lot more ups than ever before. He’s started doing some freelance work part time, he’s still playing in his band every Saturday at the local cafe, and a local record producer wants to him to record on an album he’s producing! He’s super stoked for that opportunity, and I’m happy for him. 

Overall, we’re doing okay. There are lots of changes happening over here, and that’s stressful and scary sometimes. But I know we’re headed in a good direction. 

We will keep moving forward, one step at a time.