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Happy Saturday!
It’s finally October. My favorite month of the year. In the northern hemisphere, fall is in full swing with crisp air, leaves in shades of amber and gold, and the subtle come down of the hectic summer travel.
We can finally take a moment to pause. Fall always has a way of inspiring me to take stock, reflect, and make room for new intentions.
This is why this week’s episode with Daniela Pierre-Bravo couldn’t be more timely. Daniela, an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, opens up about the hustle it took to build the career of her dreams.
But what’s even more exciting? She’s now entering a new season of life—one where she’s reflecting and redefining what the word "hustle" really means.
We talk about her upbringing in a small town in Ohio and her best career advice for the girlies. However, my favorite moment in the episode, is when she takes a deep breath and shares about this new season of her life: one focused on play, creativity and ease.
Whether you’re redefining “hustle” or another word, take the month to reflect: Which word served you in a past season of life but no longer serves you? Which word serves you now?
Become More Productive and Intentional
2 Tips for Work:
Gratitude & boundaries can co-exist: Gratitude is a beautiful thing, Daniela explains in this week’s episode. But if gratitude in the workplace is coming from a place of fear and feeling “less than,” causing you to take on more work because you feel like an imposter, then maybe reconsider the word. Be grateful and be firm. Be grateful and set boundaries. Be grateful and advocate for yourself. Gratitude and boundaries can co-exist.
Follow a non-linear path: While at NBC as a full-time employee, Daniela juggled side hustles. Whether writing best-selling books (check them out here and here) or creating a community dedicated to access, community and mentorship, she was busy creating a non-linear path for her career. Today, she’s able to stand on her own as a result of all the identity capital she built for herself outside of her 9-5.
2 Tips for Love:
Gratitude and boundaries can co-exist: Gratitude and boundaries can also co-exist in a relationship. Gratitude empowers you to appreciate the other person’s efforts, kindness, and love, creating a sense of mutual respect and emotional closeness. At the same time, boundaries ensure that both partners maintain their sense of self and respect each other’s individual needs, limits, and personal space.
Introduce “out-of-the-box” dates: If your relationship has gotten boring or stale, consider introducing “out-of-the-box” dates into your lives. These dates are meant to be completely different from your usual date nights. Perhaps it’s a cooking class, a day trip to a small town outside your city, or simply solving a puzzle at home after you build a pillow fort. Each partner comes up with one “out-of-the-box” date idea for the month.
This Week’s Podcast Episode
What I’m Reading | Listening To | Recommending
Reading: Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore. It’s a dense book about what it means to nurture and nourish the deeper, more spiritual aspects of life. There are bits of mythology, psychology and creativity embedded in the book to learn how to honor the soul’s needs and live a more soulful, intentional way. I recommend it, but beware it’s a little dry & dense.
Listening To: The Starbucks episode with Howard Schulz from the Acquired podcast. Acquired focuses on the stories of companies. The episodes are often 2+ hours long, but they are SO good. The Starbucks one was 10/10.
Recommending: Morning outdoor walks.
Question for the Group Chat
What season of life are you in?
Learn More About Theory & Practice
P.S. Check out this 17 second bit from Daniela’s episode.
Thanks for reading!