Where I've been: A milestone, a hard season, and what's coming next.

Hey {{First Name | Friend}}!

If you caught my video over in the group earlier this week, thank you. This is the version for those of you who weren't there.

I've been quiet for about a month, and I want to come back honestly, with where I've been, the good and the hard of it. 🥹

The good: I was in Washington, D.C., in a room on Capitol Hill, talking with dozens of small business owners about AI and the future of how we build. It was one of those moments that reminds you why you started, sitting with people who pour everything into their businesses, and getting to speak to where all of this is headed. I left fired up for what's possible for people like you.

It was an incredible experience, and I couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity.

The honest part: this season also brought some real personal challenges, the kind that make you stop and reevaluate everything. I'm not going to overshare, but I'd be lying if I said the last stretch wasn't heavy. I'm human, same as you. A tough family loss, then, family milestones, it’s the mix of emotions that take you from grief to joy, and all over the place.

I also stopped posting on social media for a while, and I want to be honest about why. It started to feel like I was performing instead of showing up as my actual self. I was trying to follow someone else's blueprint for what a founder is supposed to sound like online, and it was exhausting. At some point I realized that running someone else's playbook isn't building a brand, it's just dressing up. So I stepped back. And when I come back now, I want it to be me, not the version of me that fits the trend.

And here's what it taught me. My instinct, maybe yours too, is to push through everything, head down, never stop. But this season taught me something better: that building sustainably beats building until you break. That giving yourself grace isn't quitting. That you lead better from a full place than an empty one. The "hustle till you crash" story we've all been sold? I don't think it's the flex we were told it was.

Especially right now, with so many small businesses navigating a genuinely hard economy. Real strategy. Real partnership. A human in your corner, and not automated campaigns that agencies and contractors often submit and hope for the best. 🫣 My clients can tell you that I often check in asking for inventory count, different type of content, etc.

(And yes, I've also been heads-down building something I can't wait to show you. More on that very soon. I'm not going to tease it to death; just know it's coming, and it's built for e-commerce businesses).

It's good to be back. I've missed this.

— Nadia

P.S. Here is the PDF I shared with The Funnel Society from one of the Meta D.C training sessions! I hope you find it helpful. If the download link expired for you (typically lasts 7 days), let me know and I’ll send it manually.

To your success,

Nadia 👩🏽‍💻