This past week I got sick, probably thanks to a combo of Calgary’s up and down weather and running myself a bit too hard. I have this habit of getting excited and biting off more than I can chew, and I think it just caught up with me.

So when I saw what I’d planned to write about for today’s post I laughed.

I’d written down “When you don’t have time to do all the things” on my content calendar. On a day when I’d run myself into the ground by trying to do all the things.

I met Nina in person at a class she taught shortly after I moved to Calgary. Her story moved me and resonated so much that I had a minor emotional meltdown in the middle of the class. That was a big deal, because trust me, I do not usually cry in front of people. It was that powerful.

Earlier this year, I did an Instagram live about my creative process, and I shared that I like to use mantras to help keep my mind focused and on track.

It was one of those moments when I said something in passing, assuming no one would care or even listen to such a tiny detail, and I got a huge response! A bunch of people wanted to know about my mantras. Months later, I STILL get message about this.

You asked, and now I’m going to deliver!

I met Shirley on Instagram of all places when she commented on one of my posts. I creeped on her profile and immediately started noticing similarities: we both have nose piercings, similar tattoos (we both have a heart on our wrists!), and we have the same anxiety necklace.

Whaaaaat?!

*cue Twilight Zone theme.

I came to this retreat alone, which is something that definitely isn’t natural for me, but I am committing keep doing because of a greater purpose. So as I nervously walked up to the icebreaker cocktail hour, I beelined it for the bar to get me some liquid courage.

Then I pushed past the discomfort to start chatting with strangers. Little did I know some of the amazing friendships that would come out of this weekend!

This week on the podcast, I had an awesome conversation with Alicia Soulier, owner of Capelli Salon Studio and founder of the incredible SalonScale app. Alicia is an entrepreneur and award winning hair stylist, and I had a blast talking with her.

A year ago, Alicia’s life changed.