Hey Reader!

Y'all... this week has been A WEEK. 😩

I'm still processing everything that's unfolded. Between watching Cybertruck and Mango Mussolini have their little public meltdown (all this white on white crime 😏), celebrating new beginnings in my business, and dropping what turned out to be my FINAL podcast episode... whew. My brain is FULL.

Honestly, I had to check in on my Sims because their world is way less chaotic than this one. 💀

But you know what? That's exactly why we gather here every Friday. To make sense of the madness together. To celebrate the wins. To call out the nonsense. To remind each other what really matters.

Let's dive in. 👇🏾

RANT

Let them fight. I'm rooting for both of them to lose.

So Nepo Nazi and Cheeto Satan are having their long overdue messy public breakup all over the timeline, and I'm watching some people get selective amnesia in real time, giving the Human Cybertruck props. Just because these two are throwing digital hands at each other doesn't mean we're about to start picking sides. I’m rooting for both of them to lose.

I DON'T WANNA SEE ANYONE GIVE SPACE KAREN NOT AN OUNCE OF PROPS JUST BECAUSE HIM AND HABANERO HITLER ARE BEEFING. I do not wanna see anyone sanewash him. BE SMARTER.

People are really out here like "Well, he's finally calling Trump out..." Ok but that doesn’t give him any credit. Two villains fighting after destroying Gotham? We will not cheer either one. We just gon’ stand there with our popcorn, hoping they destroy each other spectacularly.

Some of the Democrats have even entertained letting him come to their side. THAT IS DUMB. THE ENEMY OF MY ENEMY IS MY ENEMY.

Give them hell continuously. We need to troll Elon and Donald til the last day of their lives. On their deathbed, we need to throw tomatoes at them. Because their antics are going to have generational consequences and I hope history drags them by their thin lips and ugly skin through the mud. I want kids in 2250 to sing nursery rhymes about dancing on their graves with glee.

BECAUSE THEY CAN BOTH GO TO HELL. If you don’t believe in hell, join me in believing in it JUST SO we can both envision them burning in the fiery pits.

Let us hold a collective vision and manifestation of their downfall and let it FUEL our fights.

Let us all chant Psalm 109 at the same time so God can hear us like He heard David.​
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So… let them fight. For the wicked will destroy themselves. And in the meantime, even though shit ain’t funny, we gon laugh at them. Cuz why not be unhinged as the empire crumbles??

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REFLECTION

Sometimes stepping back is how you step into everything you were meant to be.

Earlier this week, I announced something big: I fired myself as CEO of Awe Luv Media.

For real. For REAL. As of June 1st, Suzie Barbour, who started as my Chief Strategy Officer, is now officially in the seat as CEO. And I could not be more excited.

Now listen, this isn't me stepping back from my company. This is me stepping UP into the role I was always meant to play. I'm now Founder and Chief Visionary Officer, which means I get to do what only I can do: the writing, the speaking, the creating, the visionary work that lights me up.

For 15 years, I've been trying to be everything to everyone in this company. The strategist, the operator, the face, the voice, the one putting out fires at 2am. 😩 And let me tell you, it nearly broke me. Emotionally, physically, financially…in all the ways.

The TIMING of this? Divine. Because it was almost exactly two years to the week from when my old CFO told me the company was three months away from bankruptcy. TWO YEARS. From nearly losing everything to hiring a CEO who's helping us 10x our impact.

When I decided to make Suzie CEO, I asked our CFO to send me a screenshot of our company's bank account because I'd seen a dollar amount I had never seen before. Y'all, what a difference two years can make.

But this reflection isn't just about the business win. It's about what becomes possible when you stop trying to hold everything together by yourself.

I've been praying that prayer: "Let my helpers find me." And Suzie? She's an answer to that prayer. And the way it has been answered, is proof to me that we simply need to decide to relinquish for our next level. We cannot build the life and work we want by ourselves. And for my Type A, control freaks, I know it’s hard. It is SUPER HARD.

Stepping back is often what we need to actually accelerate and expand.

It feels like a paradox, but nature shows us this all the time. For something to grow, it has to be underground first. It doesn't start by being seen. Bears hibernate in the winter so they can store energy and pop out stronger. Runners step back before they start their sprint because it gives them momentum.

Too often we think we just need to keep going, but sometimes what we're actually supposed to do is step back to run faster. That's science. That's nature. That's how the universe works.

So I'm stepping back in this way because it'll allow me to accelerate based on my zones of genius. And the first thing I'm doing with this newfound freedom? Taking a two-month sabbatical this summer. No business calls, no launches from me, no emails. Just rest and writing and frolicking. Because my creativity is embedded in my joy, and I am more creative the more joyful I am.

This is what expansion looks like in real time. By stepping back, I get to focus on the big picture thinking that only I can do. The strategic partnerships that will multiply our impact. The creative projects that have been sitting on the back burner. The vision for where this company goes next that requires space and stillness to fully see.

When you're not drowning in the day to day, you can actually dream about what's possible. Not just growth, but the kind of exponential expansion that happens when everyone gets to operate in their zone of genius.

Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is trust the process and step back. 🤌🏾​
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RECOMMENDATION

Listen to the final episode of the Professional Troublemaker Podcast

Fam, after 7 years, it's done. The final episode of Professional Troublemaker is live, and it's everything you need to hear right now.

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This episode is like the "where are they now?" portion after all the credits roll. It's the closure we all needed. I walked through the entire Season 5 journey, the lessons it taught me about surrender vs. striving, and how Suzie stepping in as CEO represents everything I've learned about letting go and stepping into what's truly mine.

Sometimes good things need to come to an end so better things can begin. This podcast served its purpose beautifully, but now my assignment is different. It's about knowing when something is complete, even when it's successful, even when people want more.

There's wisdom in recognizing when your season is done.

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7 years. Over 100 episodes. Webby Award winner. And now it's complete.

Let me know: What's something in your life that's served its purpose and might be ready for a beautiful ending?

With love and troublemaking spirit,

P.S. You've started getting your keychains, and we love seeing you share them online and celebrating your names!

Keep tagging me as we defend our names together. 🫶🏾 And if you don’t have your keychain yet, grab it here.