To: The people beside me.

I turned 45 recently. Maybe there's something about hitting a milestone birthday that makes you a little more reflective, or maybe it's just where I am in life right now. Either way, I've found myself thinking a lot lately about the people around me.

This past year has held a lot of change. I've stepped away from a chapter that defined a huge part of my adult life, started building something of my own, and spent a lot of time figuring out who I am and what I want this next chapter to look like.

As I've been building Clarity—and, maybe even more importantly, figuring out who I am in this next chapter of my life—I've also become incredibly aware of the people standing beside me.

Some of them have been there every single day. Some have shown up at exactly the moment I needed them. Some have known me my entire life, while others have entered it only recently. And, some probably don't even realize how much their encouragement has meant.

Starting something of your own requires you to put pieces of yourself out into the world before you know exactly how they'll be received. Every text, conversation, introduction, hug, question, "like," registration, and simple I'm proud of you has meant more than I can explain.

So, this post isn't really about Clarity…It's about the people who have helped me find mine.

To: Nate, my husband.

There aren't enough words for this one. You have been my rock through all of it.

You've given me the space to dream, question, change my mind, try something, rethink it and try again. You've listened to more ideas than one human should probably ever have to listen to—and somehow you're still willing to listen to the next one!

Starting a business takes time…more time than I probably realized when I started. It takes patience to build something from the ground up, especially when there aren't always immediate results to show for the hours, energy and heart being poured into it. And while this may be my business, I know I'm not the only one who has had to make room for it.

You've given me that room. You've taken on more when I've had an event, needed to work late or had my mind somewhere else because I was trying to solve the next thing. You've been patient through the uncertainty and through all the moments when I've wondered whether I'm doing the right thing or moving fast enough.

Through all of it, you've continued to encourage me to follow what I believe in—even when the path hasn't been clear and there hasn't been a guarantee of where it will lead. There is something incredibly powerful about knowing the person beside you believes in you enough to give you the space to figure it out.

Thank you for believing in me, for being patient with the process, for carrying more when I've needed you to, and for standing beside me while I build something that means so much to me.

Knowing I get to come home to you through all of it means everything.

To: Wesley, my boy.

You probably don't fully understand what I’m even doing yet, and honestly, there are days I'm still figuring it out myself. But buddy, your excitement for me has been one of the sweetest parts of this entire experience!

You ask questions and genuinely want to know what's happening. You celebrate things with me without needing to understand why they're a big deal. You've given me hugs when I've needed them, made me laugh when I've been taking everything too seriously, and brought a levity and sweetness to this chapter that I desperately need sometimes.

And, let's be clear: you also have opinions. If you know him, you know he has one about most things. You know what looks good and what absolutely does not—and you're not afraid to tell me!

Lastly, I love that you get to see me try something new and follow my dreams. I hope someday you remember watching your mom believe enough in an idea to go after it - I’ll be cheering you on to do the same!

To: My Mom.

I'm not sure there's been a day in this journey when you haven't somehow been part of it.

You are my cheerleader, my sounding board, my shoulder, my "does this make sense?" and my "is this actually a good idea?" person. You've consistently listened to the excitement…and the doubt. You've celebrated the wins…and talked me through the moments when I've questioned myself.

Because starting something new comes with all of the emotions. There are days when I feel incredibly excited about what I'm building and can see so clearly where it could go. And then there are days when I'm discouraged, impatient, overwhelmed or questioning whether any of it is going to work. Sometimes all of those feelings happen in the same day.

You've been there for all of them.

You've let me celebrate the smallest wins like they're big ones. You've listened when I've been disappointed. You've reminded me of how far I've come when I'm too focused on how far I still want to go. And you've given me a place to say the things out loud that I sometimes just need to get out of my own head.

There are times when I need someone who doesn't require the polished version. Someone I can call while I'm still figuring out what I'm trying to say, what I'm feeling or what I want to do next.

You've been that person for me over and over and over again.

Thank you for riding every high and low with me, for believing in me when my own confidence wavers, and for always picking up the phone—no matter the time of day.

To: My Dad.

There's one conversation in particular that we had about this season of life I'm in that I don't think I'll ever forget.

We were sitting at the cabin, and I was trying to explain this vision I had—what I wanted to create, why it mattered to me and what I thought it could become.

It was still taking shape and so was I. You listened. You supported me. You encouraged me. You made me feel like this thing I could envision might actually be worth going after.

As I've been building Clarity, I've also thought a lot about the entrepreneurial spirit that runs through our family—from Grandma, to you, and now, maybe, to me. There's something about believing in an idea enough to take a chance on it, even when you don't know exactly where it will lead. And when I think back, you've been showing me that for a long time.

I still remember being in college and having an idea for an art project I believed in. You helped me see what it could become beyond the art assignment and encouraged me to go after it. I don't think I understood then what that example was teaching me. Looking back now, I do.

You showed me that when something matters to you, it's worth exploring, that an idea doesn't have to come with a guarantee to be worth pursuing, and that sometimes you simply have to believe in something enough to give it a chance.

There are conversations that stick with you because of what was said and then there are others that stick with you because of how someone made you feel while you were saying it. That conversation at the cabin was both.

Thank you for believing in what I could see before I fully knew how to explain it, for encouraging me to go after it, and for showing me long before Clarity ever existed what it looks like to take a chance on something you believe in.

To: Julie, my sister.

You have a way of showing up at exactly the right times.

You've sat through so many of my "I just need to think out loud for a minute" moments—which, let's be honest, are rarely just a minute. And somewhere in those conversations, you have this ability to help me hear what I'm actually saying.

What do I really want? What am I settling for? What am I afraid to admit?

There have been moments throughout this past year when I've come to you thinking I needed help figuring out what to do, only to realize through talking with you that I already knew. You have a way of listening, asking the right question, and sometimes gently pointing out the thing I'm saying without realizing I'm saying it.

You've helped me recognize the answers more than once—and then you've encouraged me to actually do something about them.

You've also reminded me not to make myself smaller or choose the easier path simply because it feels safer. You've encouraged me to trust what I want, believe that I'm capable of creating it, and not settle for something just because it's more comfortable or predictable.

There is something pretty special about having a sister who knows you well enough to hear what's underneath the words—and loves you enough to tell you when she hears it.

Thank you for being a place where I can think out loud, change my mind, say the scary thing, dream bigger and eventually find my way to what I already knew somewhere inside. And then for being right there beside me saying, Okay, now go do it!

To: Lynnie.

You've checked in and have been there for me consistently through this entire transition—not only to ask about the business, but to ask about me.

How am I doing? How is everything going? How am I feeling about all of it? And, you haven't just asked at the obvious moments. You've continued to ask…again and again.

There is something incredibly meaningful about having someone who pays attention to the person behind all the things happening on the outside. Who remembers what you were worried about the last time you talked, follows up on the thing you were waiting for, celebrates what's going well, and notices when maybe you need a little extra encouragement.

You've been there through so much of the figuring out—not only as I've built a business, but as I've tried to understand who I am in this next chapter of my life. You've listened to the questions, the excitement, the uncertainty and all the things in between. Through every version of it, I've always known one thing for certain…you have my back.

There is such comfort in knowing there are people in your life who aren't going anywhere. Who don't need a reason to check in. Who simply want to know how you're doing because they love you.

You've been that person for me.

Thank you for your consistency, for always making space for me, for checking in even when life is busy, and for making sure I know I'm never navigating any of this alone. I hope you know how much that has meant and continues to mean to me.

To: Andrew, my brother-in-law.

Sometimes support is as simple as someone being genuinely curious about what you're doing—and continuing to ask about it.

Thank you for asking about Clarity, wanting to know how things are going and taking an interest in what I'm trying to build.

Through your own photography and social media, you also understand the sometimes-strange experience of putting your work out into the world and hoping people engage with it. It's nice to have someone who gets that part of it—and who can relate to both the excitement and the occasional "Is anyone actually seeing this?" moments.

Thank you for being curious, for asking and for caring about what I'm creating.

To: Sharon, my mother-in-law.

So much of what I'm able to do is possible because of the people who step in behind the scenes.

Thank you for always being willing to help with Wesley—especially on the evenings when I'm hosting events and need to know he's taken care of and loved. You've made it easy for me to say yes to opportunities because I know I can count on you.

Your willingness to help, often without hesitation, is something I appreciate more than you know.

To: Richard, my father-in-law.

You've sent words of encouragement along the way that have meant a lot to me—especially your reminders to follow my dreams and keep going after what I believe in.

I know you understand what it means to have an idea, take a chance and follow a path that isn't always the conventional one. There's something meaningful about receiving encouragement from someone who understands that part of the journey.

Thank you for believing in me, for encouraging me to keep going, and for reminding me that sometimes the things we feel called to pursue are worth taking a chance on.

To: Emily.

How do you thank someone who has been there through all of it?

You've seen me through life's challenges, changes, heartbreaks, celebrations, twists, turns and everything in between.

Life gets busy. We both have families and responsibilities and a million things pulling at us. And somehow, we can always pick up right where we left off.

You show up when I need you. You make space even when your own life is full. You know the history behind the moment without needing the entire backstory. You have shown me, over and over again, what true friendship looks like.

There aren't many people who get to see every version of us and keep choosing to stand beside us.

Thank you for being one of mine.

To: Neil.

You were a cheerleader I didn't necessarily expect to find in this chapter—and I cannot tell you how grateful I am that I did!

Your life is incredibly full, and yet you've continued to make time to check in, ask how things are going and create connections that could help me along the way.

You've opened doors simply because you believed it might help and that kind of support is something I don't take lightly.

Thank you for making space for me, for connecting me with people and possibilities, and for rooting for me. It has meant more than you probably realize.

To: Jen.

Even from all the way out in San Francisco, you've found ways to cheer me on throughout this journey.

You understand this leap in a unique way—the corporate world I came from, but also what it's like to step outside of it, try something new and build something from scratch.

You've listened, offered advice and shared perspective from your own experience. You've reminded me it’s worth pursuing what truly makes us happy and fills our bucket—or maybe even our soul.

Thank you for understanding that pursuit and for continuing to cheer me on as I find my own way forward.

To: Kate B.

You have shown up at every turn of this crazy journey.

You've offered ideas and advice. You've made connections. You've checked in. You've encouraged me. And somehow, whenever I put something new into the world, you're quite literally one of the first people to raise your hand and say, I'm in.

But there's something else you give me that I probably don't say enough: you make me laugh. Like…laugh till I’m crying!

You have this innate ability to say things in a way that only you can. Half the time I don't even think you're trying to be funny—which somehow makes it even funnier. In the middle of all the seriousness and uncertainty that can come with a season like this, you've given me so many moments of laughter and lightness.

There is something incredibly powerful about having people who don't just say they support you—they show you.

Thank you for continuing to show me—and for always, always making me laugh along the way.

To: Kristen O.

It amazes me sometimes how quickly a friendship can become something that feels so much deeper.

In a relatively short period of time, you have become one of the kindest and most supportive friends in my life.

You ask how I'm doing—and you actually want to know the answer. You've offered honesty when I need it, encouragement when I need that, and a friendship that I am incredibly grateful to have found.

Thank you for making space for the real conversations. I don't take the depth of our friendship for granted.

To: Tara.

Your podcast inspired me before Clarity was even fully taking shape. So much of what you share aligns with what I believe, and I've always appreciated the honesty and realness you bring to it.

Beyond the inspiration, you've also shown up for me—checking in, encouraging me and cheering me on as I've found my own path.

Thank you for being so genuinely you, and for continuing to show up for me along the way.

To: Jeff. Ranae. Kate T.

You knew me in what I sometimes jokingly call my "past life."

You've seen me in meetings, through hard projects, long days, crazy deadlines and years of navigating all that came with our careers together.

And yet you've continued to show up for me as I've stepped into something completely different.

I'm grateful for the laughs, the history, the shared experiences and the kind of bond that comes from having been through a lot together.

Thank you for knowing who I was then and still cheering for who I'm becoming now.

To: Kristin R.

Starting a business means constantly encountering things you didn't even know you didn't know.

And you've become my local mentor through so much of it. Fitting since you were my mentor in a “past life” as well!

You've connected me with people, answered questions, offered advice and shared what you've learned from building something yourself. But you've also simply cheered me on.

Thank you for being willing to share what you know, open your network and help someone else find her footing. That's the kind of women-supporting-women energy I hope to keep passing along.

To: Melissa.

Over the years, you've become so much more than Pat's wife—you've become a true friend.

You've shown up, asked questions and taken a genuine interest in what I'm building. You love the kinds of conversations at the heart of Clarity, and there's something really special about having someone who not only supports what I'm creating but truly connects with why it matters to me.

Thank you for your friendship, your genuine interest and for simply continuing to show up and cheer me on.

To: Kali.

Sometimes someone gives you something without realizing how important it will eventually become.

You inspired me at a time when I needed it. You supported me. And you recommended a book called The Universe Has Your Back.

At the time, I had no idea how meaningful that book would become to me or how much it would influence the way I moved through this season of my life.

Thank you for putting something in my path that I didn't even know I needed yet—and for being part of the inspiration that helped me begin imagining something different.

To: Margie. Nanci. Kristina. Brianna.

And then there are the people this new chapter has brought into my life.

You haven't known me for decades. You weren't there for all the chapters that came before this one. And yet, somehow, you've found space in your lives—and in your hearts—to support me and what I'm trying to create. You've connected, collaborated, encouraged, shared ideas and simply shown up.

I've been genuinely blown away by the generosity and support I've experienced from women who really didn't have to do any of it. Finding each of you has been one of the unexpected gifts of taking this leap.

Thank you for seeing something in me and in Clarity and choosing to be part of it.

(Photo credit above to: Kristina Lynn Photography and Design)

To: everyone else cheering me on...

The messages. The comments. The likes. The "I saw what you're doing!" The LinkedIn congratulations. The shares. The forwarded links. The people who mention my name in rooms I'm not in. The people who read something I've written and take a second to tell me it resonated.

I know clicking a heart on someone's post or sending a quick text can feel like a tiny thing, but when you're doing something that requires you to continually put yourself out there—it doesn't feel tiny on the receiving end.

Every little sign that someone is out there saying keep going has mattered. More than you know.

I may have started the business. But I didn't build this chapter alone.

I've thought a lot about self-trust over the past year. About learning to listen to yourself, trust what you hear and have the courage to follow it. I believe deeply in that.

But I've also realized something else - believing in yourself doesn't mean you don't need other people to believe in you, too. Sometimes we're brave because someone reminds us we can be, or we take the next step because someone is standing behind us, or we finally say the thing out loud because someone has created a safe enough place for us to hear ourselves say it.

And sometimes, when we're doing something that feels incredibly vulnerable, a simple I see you. Keep going. is enough to help us do exactly that.

So, to every person who has stood beside me, listened to me, challenged me, connected me, encouraged me, hugged me, laughed with me, signed up, shared something, liked something, asked about Clarity—or simply asked about me:

Thank you.

Clarity may have my name on it, but each of your fingerprints are all over this chapter of my life. I hope you know how incredibly grateful I am.