I’m so glad you’re here! Launching a blog is something I’ve wanted to do since blogging became cool which coincidentally happened around the time I realized I was a writer. I’ve always been the person too who tells her friends and family what to wear, what to buy, and where to eat. So why not share the fun with you good people?
I’ve overthought what it means to start a blog. As a creator I’ve always been concerned that my writing or my point of view isn’t good enough, or that what I have to say isn’t that interesting. I worry that people won’t like what I have to say, or worse, not care. But when you have a thought taking up space in your brain long enough, I think the smart thing to do is try it out. Launch it into the universe and see what it becomes.
I’m ready for the next chapter in my life. I’ve had a successful career as a leader in tech for over a decade, and after being laid off (I’m supposed to say “My team was impacted.” blah blah, I was laid off—let’s call it what it is) I’ve been in this phase of doing a lot of thinking. Thinking about writing in general, wondering if I should be a freelancer or an author, or a blogger. (Hey, hi, what’s up.) And what I’ve realized is that I have to just try things. I have many interests and sometimes I worry that means I’ll be a Jill of all trades, mistress of none, but I won’t fail if I don’t try. And I think the act of doing in life means more than the act of succeeding. Success is all in how you define it. How you decide to label something as good or good enough.
I want to be the person that does things, not just thinks about them or hides behind the potential they might fail or just not be good enough to be a thing. I worry about negative feedback too. Even after twelve years of navigating bad tech feedback I worry that negative responses to anything I create might stick with me just enough that I won’t be able to bounce back. I’m a people pleaser, I’m a perfectionists, so anything short of positivity or an acceptance feels personal to me. I’m working to realize it’s not personal, and that feedback and reactions are just that; and too their owned by the person giving them, not the one receiving them.
Speaking of my array of interests, I’d like to break them down, and talk about why I’m just going for everything. I will start by saying I love creative things, aesthetically pleasing things, and comforting things. That for me manifests in writing, design, fashion, and food. I also have quested this journey of finding my own version of wellness so that means I have a pretty broad and sometimes deep understanding of exercise, nutrition, supplements, and overall wellness—especially for women. I’ve had autoimmune issues, physical accidents, dysbioses, and chronic conditions, so that means I’ve tried lots of protocols for food and activity, I’m known as the supplement queen amongst family and friends (people are no longer surprised or embarassed when I whip out my pill container at a restaurant) and a frequent phrase I use is, “I have a person for that.”
I always have a person. I have the right women who you need to go to get your brows down. I have the best hair stylists, I know who you can trust if you need a colonic, and I know which doctor will actually listen to your concerns and help create a unique plan that will truly help you, not just put a bandaid on your real problems. If you live near me I can tell you the best coffee shops to go to, and if you don’t I have probably visited your city and will give you my 2 cents on the best places to eat. Food=life is a theme in case you haven’t noticed.
These blog posts will sometimes be essays, and other times they might feel more like journal entries. I will always try and get straight to the point, but give you context that is useful. I might write about my new favorite stylists and how she helped me finally hone in my style or I might write about a new recipe I found that actually wasn’t that hard to make and didn’t require 15 new ingriendents I’ve never purchased before. I might tell you about my experience interviewing in tech looking for new jobs, and I might tell you about my journey to understand myself and my priorities better in life. But regardless of what I might write, I hope that you find some sort of joy or intiruge, interest, or distaste. I bring a lot of opinions to the fold, and I’d love to hear how you feel too. My ask is that this is a respectful space. I want every one, every body, every type of thinker to be welcome here. I know you’re smart, beautiful, and talented, and I’m excited to get to learn about you too!
So cheers new friend. I hope this new adventure is one we both find joy from. And welcome to With Mads, the place where we get to hang out together, learn things together and do things WITH each other.
