This is a version of me I am not proud of
Hey
So…can I be real with you?
I’ve never been a fan of pumpkin spice lattes cuz its a bit basic b*tch in my opinion (same goes for my opinion of Emily in Paris), but seeing that on the menus is telling me it's that time of year again – Q4 – and I've been doing a lot of thinking lately about what this season usually means for me and my business.
Normally, I'd be in BUSY AS F*CK FULL ON LAUNCH MODE right now, chasing those big numbers, and generally getting caught up in the whirlwind of hustle culture. But this year? I'm taking a step back and doing something different, and I wanted to share my thoughts with you because, well, you're part of this journey too.
Instead of my usual huge launch I usually do since its gift guide season, I am devoted to helping a smaller number of product biz owners this year. Do less, but 10x better, is my ethos this year.
If you read any of my previous emails about my healing my relationship with my mom and journey into psychedelics, I’ve been on this path of redefining what success really means to me, and let me tell you, it's been quite the eye-opener 👀. For the longest time, I bought into this idea that success was all about bigger launches, more customers, higher revenue, which is a "more is better, always" mentality. But lately, I've been asking myself, "At what cost does this come?" and "Is this really why I started a business?"
The other day, I was going through some old photos on my iPhone, and I came across one from 2022 that just stopped me ⬇️.
There I was, delivering a high energy live launch masterclass, and you'd never guess that this was just a few weeks after I had open stomach surgery to remove a 13 cm fibroid from my uterus. I was still wearing bandages, for crying out loud, but there I was, hell-bent on achieving my first ‘6-figure launch’, because that was what “success” was modeled to me in the online world’. Not surprisingly, I got burnt out shortly after and physically couldn’t get up from my bed without feeling stuck and going down mental spirals.
Years of somatic therapy, psychedelic healing, confronting my inner childhood wounds and demons later, I am in a much different place, although I am very much still on that healing journey (that never ends).
Looking at that photo now, I feel sad for that Gloria. I want to reach through the photo and tell her, "Hey, it's okay to rest. Your health and well-being are more important than any launch."
As a child of a single parent widow who grew up in Communist China with literal food rations and labor camps, my mom instilled in me the belief that if my boss paid me, I needed to put my head down and say yes to everything. This mentality kept me trapped in a narrative that equated money to self-worth for far too long.
But now? After building a business that is not only profitable but widely impactful (we’ve helped THOUSDANDS of early stage emall businesses from the most diverse backgrounds), I know that money is simply a tool. It can be used to expand our freedom, or it can be tool that imprisons us. Now, it can feel RICH to make less revenue if I get to:
Wake up without an alarm
Pay more for organic produce and locally made items
Pour money into causes and projects I care about
Splurge on business class tickets for my mom, who I only spent 8 years of my life living with
Nourish myself with healing arts: massages, meditation, yoga, coaching
So, this Q4, instead of the usual busy launch season I will have, I'm doing things a bit differently.
❤️I'm holding space for my community (that's you!)
❤️Treating myself to a solo trip to Mexico and getting a villa JUST TO MYSELF
❤️Getting on calls with 100+ customers and having real, honest conversations about what they need, not just what I want to give them
❤️Building nourishing relationships with people who are so f*cking smart but kind
❤️Sharing authentic stories on my podcast to elevate others' voices.
And you know what? It feels really, really good. And f*cking powerful, because finally I am choosing what I want to do.
Now, I'm not sharing all of this to brag. I'm telling you this because I want to remind you – and myself – why we started our businesses in the first place. It was NOT to become slaves to the machines we built, right? It was to create freedom, to live life on our own terms, to have the power to decide what really matters to us.
🙏Remember: We have the ability to reject this internalized capitalism and the "more is better at all costs" narrative that's been drilled into us. That mindset often stems from generational scarcity and trauma, and we don't need to carry sh*t around anymore. We've worked hard, we've dedicated ourselves to building something meaningful, and now it's time to reap those rewards – whatever that looks like for each of us.
As the seasons change, I want to encourage you to give yourself permission. Permission to redefine your own version of success, to embrace what truly matters to you💗. Remember, we built our businesses to have agency, to make choices that align with our values and desires. So let's not be afraid to exercise that power.
I'd love to hear from you about this. How are you redefining success in your life? What changes are you making to align your business and life with what truly matters to you? If you feel like sharing, just hit reply and let me know. Your story matters, and I'd be honored to hear it. Just hit REPLY and let me know!
Here's to writing our own rules and defining success on our own terms. Sending you all the good vibes as we navigate this journey together.
With love and wrapping you in the abundance that’s already within you,
-Gloria
P.S. If this message resonates with you and you're feeling like you want to dive deeper into this whole "redefining success" thing, I'm opening up a few spots for one-on-one calls to see if we would vibe and should be in community together. If you're interested, just reply with "Let's chat" and we'll set something up. Sometimes, a good conversation is all we need to gain clarity and find our path forward.