You ever sit in your kitchen at 2AM, staring at a pile of unopened bills, wondering why chasing your dreams doesn’t feel more like a motivational montage… and more like a blooper reel?
Same.
This Wasn’t the Plan
I was the daughter who checked every box.
Honor roll. Internships. Engineering degree.
I had jobs at companies my immigrant mom could brag about in the hair salon. I was the blueprint.
So when I quit all of that to build a beauty brand?
Everyone said, “You’re so brave.”
But truthfully? I felt like a fraud with a ring light and a Shopify login.
There’s no blueprint when you’re the first in your family to do something like this.
Burnout in HD
I thought “grind culture” was a badge of honor.
But I accidentally built a prison out of my passion.
My skin? Breaking out.
My sleep? Trash.
My creativity? Nonexistent.
But I still kept pushing.
Turns out:
If you build from burnout, you don’t create a business—you create a burden.
Letting Go of Perfect
My perfectionism wore a lab coat and a resume.
It told me I just needed one more tweak before I was ready.
Meanwhile, people were selling glitter scrubs with zero science.
And here I was—too afraid to launch.
Perfect is fear in a fitted dress.
I launched anyway.
The Duality Is Real
Some days I am that girl.
Other days, I spiral on Zillow and consider going back to corporate.
Both are real.
Both are me.
That’s the duality of healing while building.
You’re the CEO and the scared intern in the same body.
If You’re in the Messy Middle Too...
You’re not lazy.
You’re not lost.
You’re not behind.
You’re just in motion.
And motion is messy. But it’s sacred.
💌 Take This With You
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You don’t have to be ready to begin.
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You’re allowed to be the blueprint and the broken girl at the same time.
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Don’t let hustle culture rob you of joy.
🧠 Journal Prompts
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Where in my life am I confusing safety with alignment?
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What would I give myself permission to do if I wasn’t waiting to be perfect?
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What version of me needs to be grieved so the next one can rise?
🛠️ Tiny Practice
Say this out loud:
“I am in motion. That is enough.”
Then take one small action this week.
One email. One sketch. One moment of rest.