Can I be really honest about something?
My life has looked very, very different from what I had planned for myself.
The house in the suburbs, driving my kids to seven million practices, reminding them over and over (and over) to please finish that homework!, leading meeting after meeting, poring over spreadsheets to figure out profit margins … none of this was what little “Andi-Belle” had in mind when she was lip syncing as my childhood alter-ego “Boxy Wow” into her hair brush.
And I mean, I’m probably not the only person in the world whose adulthood turned out differently than what they imagined at age 9, right?
But my adulthood turned out really differently because I became a mom at nineteen. Nineteen!
While most of my friends were figuring out how to navigate dorm life, I was navigating diaper changes and daycare. I put myself through college (slowly), raised my kids, and managed to build some award-winning, 7-figure yoga and barre studios along the way.
Over the past few years I’ve found that sparkly, rascal-y, Boxy Wow part of me growing stronger and stronger. She’s less willing to be pushed down in favor of fitting in with the expected, “normal” mom landscape.
As my kids have gotten older, needed me less, and now left the nest I’m realizing that I finally have the luxury of creating a life where who I am on the inside matches more closely the life I’m living on the outside.
A few months ago, I dropped my youngest, Elise, off at college. I was so proud (and yes, there were tears), but once I got home, I looked around and thought, Now what?
Since dropping Elise off, I’ve been living. Not just “surviving the to-do list” living, but full-on thriving. I’ve crossed things off my list that had been there for ages, gotten my spark back, and honestly, I’m having SO MUCH FUN.
I’ve started dreaming again.
For starters, I’ve always wanted to be bi-coastal. Spend my winters somewhere warm, vibrant, and sexy. Go home for the holidays, visit my studios, and keep building this life that feels uniquely mine.
For so long, I felt like I needed permission to do what I really wanted to do.
I know you know this, but in case you needed the reminder: no one’s going to give you permission to live a life that’s right for you. You are the only one who can give it.
So, here I am, telling you—and myself—that it’s okay to want more. It’s okay to have big, exciting dreams at any age or place in life.
This next chapter? It’s all about what’s possible. For me. For you. For anyone ready to claim it.
So, friend, tell me—what’s your next big thing? Because if I’ve learned anything in this chapter of life, it’s that the best time to start really is right now!
P.S. Part of this new season is launching my first new 1:1 offering in years! Why? Because it feels fun to me! If you’re ready to treat yourself to 1:1 coaching + support - while drinking a cocktail/mocktail and sitting next to a palm tree, this is for you. (Don’t miss out on the beta pricing!)
