The New Year starting mid-week really threw me for a loop so yes, I’m a bit late, but I've bought my intentions, enthusiasm, and a bottle of wine
-Signed a girl doing her best.
I thrive on 'new year, new me' energy! Vision boards, goal charts, and accountability group chats have been incredible tools I’ve used in the past to navigate new phases of life. However, this year, I’m taking a different approach. Instead of setting specific resolutions or goals, I’ve identified four personal brand pillars—foundations I want to build upon and embody over the next 365 days.
Maybe it’s my background in branding that makes this make sense to me. Because in a way, I’m treating my human self like a brand—crafted with intention and ready to make an impact.
For 2025, my personal brand pillars are: Consistency (a recurring one for me).Discovery (because I’ve been so focused on what I already know that I’ve forgotten the thrill of learning). Intention (because, well, duh—it’s essential). Impact (I often equate it with quantity over quality. So the real challenge will be embracing the idea that making a difference—even for just one person—can still be profoundly impactful).
So I wanted to create something that could serve as an anchor—an outlet to help me tap into each of this year's pillars, hold me accountable, and reconnect me with a form of expression I haven’t truly embraced in what feels like a lifetime: writing.
That’s where the idea of a personal blog came in. I knew I wanted to get back into writing, and while I could have created a blog focused on pop culture or trending topics—things that would undoubtedly attract attention more quickly—I wanted to approach this space with what? With intention.
I asked myself: Why do I feel the need for this? What am I trying to accomplish? And why not just start journaling again?
Making this blog all about me and public—open for anyone to see and just a click away from my bio—forces me to confront one of my most irrational long-ignored fears: a fear of being a hero. Now stay with me I'm taking this somewhere. I’ve always felt comfortable in the role of the anti-hero—or even the villain, if you will. It’s a cozy place to be: no one expects much from you.
And just maybe that’s where the fear lies: in having people expect things from me. As the oldest child of a sometimesy mother, it’s entirely possible that I’ve grown into an adult who runs from expectations—especially the heavy ones where my name is the only one in the room and the only one on the line.
I am a great collaborator and I work really well with others. I do not lack confidence in my abilities but I am 100% terrified, not of the failure but the pressure of success. So for years, I’ve relaid heavily on collaboration as a way to get my shit off while not carrying all the weight. While I’ve done some fun things and learned a lot it's time to trust myself.
I create so many things but never share them, never talk about them. I protect them. But isn’t all art meant to be shared, in some way, at some point?
So a space focused on me—my opinions, the stories I want to tell, and the things I feel inspired to share seems like the only way to go.
Starting this blog will hopefully help me work on all the areas I want to strengthen, starting with consistency. Owing people anything stresses me out from money, to work, to a favor that I may have promised, so putting the pressure on myself to deliver weekly or biweekly posts would help me build that muscle of being consistent without requiring a paycheck behind it.
It would also help me to rediscover my passion for storytelling, explore more about myself, and maybe even connect with a new community—if it goes that far. It’s an opportunity to be intentional about what I choose to share, how I share it, and the impact it could have on both myself and anyone who happens to stumble upon it.
Now that im wrapping up this post part of me feels like I should introduce myself—tell you my name, what I do, what I like, and my favorite color. But where’s the fun or discovery in that? All you really need to know is that I’m a Black Woman, I’m a Cancer, and I’m from Oakland, California. Because those are the things that have shaped me, things I can’t change, things I’m proud of, and things I’ll probably mention a billion times—whether you ask or not.
So here we are: a new year, a fresh start, and a personal blog that’s equal parts accountability, exploration, and self-expression. This space will be my playground, my diary, and maybe even my stage—a place where I challenge myself to show up, share, and grow.
Whether this blog becomes a tiny corner of the internet I cherish or a space that connects me with others who resonate with my words, it’s an act of trust in myself. A trust that what I create, what I say, and who I am is enough.
Here’s to 2025: a year of Consistency, Discovery, Intention, and Impact. And here’s to anyone brave enough to take a chance on themselves, even if it’s just one blog post at a time.