It’s my 5-year business anniversary.

5 years of working only for myself, on my own terms.

5 years of facing some of my greatest fears, and watching them dissolve (s-l-o-w-l-y lol) under my gaze.

5 years of trading my skills and experience to fuel an incredible life, and to serve the people who want my support and expertise.

5 years of my simple, yet rock solid systems.

Some of the same systems I put into place over 10 years ago when I started seeing a few clients on the side of full-time jobs.

My scheduling software.

My contracts.

My payment processor.

My rates, which at the beginning, I would push through fear to speak out loud.

At first it felt terrifying to charge for my services.

5 years of living on the beach in Costa Rica, and traveling to nearly 10 other countries – sometimes spending a month in a new city.

Street tacos in Mexico.

Speeding through the city on the back of a motorcycle.

Walking to a date in the pouring rain in Panama.

Eating pizza on the beach.

Snorkeling with sisters in Costa Rica.

Watching dolphins jump around our boat.

A tea ceremony on the beach in Sayulita, as the sun set.

Riding on horseback through the jungle and ocean.

Drinking my favorite New York cocktail at a bar in Portugal.

Dancing salsa in Colombia, the city of eternal spring.

Swimming in a lake that sprang from a collapsed volcano in Guatemala.

Falling in love with a sister’s home city – Lima, Peru.

5 years in the wild.

In the unknown on every level.

As my mentor Cora Poage would say, “In the free fall.”

Now I really know what she means by that.

My New York apartment became a little beach casita.

The subway became a banana bike, my feet resting on the pedals rather than pounding the pavement in high heels, calluses and blisters forming.

My feet have never been softer.

My soul has never been stronger.

There are moments that have rattled me to my core, and I am so proud of how I handled them.

Some days I feel like an actual superhero.

I am healing, and I am softening in perfect timing.

Currently, I am in a season of receiving.

Of letting life be easier and more leisurely than it’s ever been.

I never thought it would be possible to work so little and still experience all the things I desire.

To do all the things I dreamed of doing in a day when I worked 9-5.

To live in a truly abundant reality: Abundance of time, abundance of joy, abundance of connection, abundance of adventure, abundance of novelty.

I’ve learned that time is not money – value is.

Sometimes I wonder if I am doing enough.

If I’m ambitious enough.

If I’m living up to the “incredible potential” I was always told I had.

The “potential” that was harped upon, growing up in New York.

Then I remember…

I’m exploring the world with childlike wonder.

I’m noticing the flickers of magic in each day.

I’m more focused on connection and care than ever before, because I am no longer in survival mode.

My goal shifted from being the most successful and accomplished person possible to being the most conscious, kind person possible.

While empathy and kindness have always been at the forefront, there have been phases where I’ve skipped socializing too often, to buckle down on my goals.

Times I’m moved too fast when I could’ve prioritized connection.

As a (very proud) introvert, sometimes I turn inward when I wish I could turn outward.

But I have learned that can be the kindest thing at times – to reset in my shell.

No one wants my scraps, and people are much more understanding than I sometimes give them credit for.

I’ve learned that I can trust my needs.

I can trust my nature.

When I am in tune with myself, I have more to share with others.

Even on the days I question myself the most, when I wonder if I am doing too much or too little, I return to the fact that I’ve reached so many of my childhood goals.

Forming independence and abundance.

Serving others through my work.

Living in multiple countries.

Learning new languages – even if I’m not fluent yet.

Seeing the world, and building a life of freedom that uniquely suits me.

Eating the best possible food.

Prioritizing deep, quality relationships with soul family.

I genuinely did not know if I could ever get here –

– especially the working for myself and living abroad part.

But we are here.

We did it.

We have been doing it for 5 full years, and we’re truly just getting started.

With this 5-year anniversary, I’m also celebrating my highest revenue year to date, from September to September.

In this time I’ve earned more than any of my previous full-time jobs in New York City, working 10-20 hours per week.

It turns out that prioritizing connection and kindness over “success” leads to… greater success.

Better client relationships.

Better friendships.

Better everything.

When the pressure of “success” falls away, effortless pathways open up.

When you loosen your grip, everything becomes easier.

It’s like the mustard you can’t find in the fridge…

… then you realize it’s right in front of your face.

In letting go of the constant need for accomplishment, our goals find us.

Looking back at the past 5 years floors me.

Feeling the gravity of what I’ve created is so special, and so moving.

I am deeply grateful for the kaleidoscope of experiences I’ve had.

Even the painful ones.

Even the ones that make me shudder.

I am deeply grateful for the people who have cheered me on from day one, and the people who have doubted me, and therefore lit a fire under me.

The people who said building a business as an introvert was not a good idea, with a sarcastic laugh.

The people who said the industry was too saturated.

The people who said the competition was too high.

The people who said that with my degree, they’d have me as a waitress for a while.

The people who made assumption after assumption about who I am and where I come from.

Thank you, I forgive you, and I have loved proving you wrong.

If you are building something for yourself, keep going.

Put blinders on.

Do not listen to people, especially people who have a negativity bias.

Especially people who haven’t created what you want to create, in the way that you want to create it.

Don’t read too many books.

Don’t ask too many questions.

Take advice very sparingly.

Listen to your soul. Listen to your instincts.

All the old ways of doing business are falling away.

Intention, intuition, and integrity rule above all else.

Thank you so much for being here, and being a part of this, even if you simply read a post or email from time to time.

You are felt, and you are appreciated.

I am deeply grateful for you, from the bottom of my heart.

With so much love,
Lula