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Hey YOU!

Tired of business advice that doesn't feel like...YOU? This newsletter is your permission slip to build your business on your own terms...let's dive in!

First off, can we have a *moment* for my new brand photos by Sisterhood Photography (peep the cute cover photo)!

As someone who lives and breathes branding, I love getting a fresh shoot done each year...but this one felt extra special since it was my first session with my new business name.

That said... oof, the process is no joke. Fun, empowering, worth it...but also kind of exhausting. (Honestly, I might just try an AI shoot next time and call it a day 😅)!

Life behind the scenes has been busy... September has us burning the candle at both ends with my kids hockey schedules, school chaos, and the first round of colds making its way through the house.

If your fall is already feeling like a lot too, I’m right there with you...

I'll just say it: There’s a lot happening in the world right now.

So much that feels heavy. So much that feels wrong. And somehow we're expected to just go on...write the emails, run the business, get the laundry done, manage the kids’ big emotions, and keep smiling through it all.

It’s a lot.

Your nervous system was never meant to process this constant stream of global tragedy on top of running a business, and just existing.

And yet, here we are.

There’s this impossible balancing act between not wanting to ignore what’s happening, and also not wanting to crumble under the weight of it all.

And here’s the thing...
✨ Two things can be true at once.

We can care deeply about the world AND still need rest.
We can want to take action AND not know where to start.
We can choose to speak out AND worry it’ll come off wrong.
We can stay quiet AND still have a thousand complicated feelings.

None of it makes you bad. Or broken. Or not doing enough.

In fact, the shame we carry about "not doing enough" is often the very tool that power systems like patriarchy and capitalism want us to carry.

Because if we’re overwhelmed, ashamed, and exhausted…we’re easier to manipulate. Easier to keep divided. Easier to silence.

There’s no perfect answer.
​There’s no ethical consumption under capitalism.​
And no one is doing it “perfectly.”

So what can we do?

We do what we can. We do the small things that are ours to do.

• Maybe that’s choosing to use a reusable cup when you remember.
• Maybe it’s explaining a hard world event to kids in a way they can understand.
• Maybe it’s ordering takeout because your family needs to eat and you’re out of spoons.
• Maybe it’s donating to mutual aid or volunteering in your community.
• Maybe it’s building a business that lets you give back in ways that matter to you.

We have to stop measuring our worth by perfection.

Because trying to be the “perfect” ethical consumer, the “perfect” ally, the “perfect” parent, the “perfect” business owner...only leads to paralysis and burnout.

And because sometimes, the most radical thing you can do is rest.​
To pause. To recharge. To remember that you are not a machine.

Instead of aiming for perfection, we can choose enoughness. That means doing the best we can with what we know and what we have.

And that includes how we show up in our businesses, too.

Because building a values driven brand, especially in a capitalist society, means figuring out how to exist inside the system without letting it shape you into someone you’re not.

You don’t have to be perfect to build a powerful brand.
You don’t have to have it all figured out.
You don’t have to do everything at once.

What you do need? Clarity. Integrity. Compassion.

Because when you build a brand from that place...from who you really are and what you really care about...it becomes something sustainable.

Something real. Something people can trust.

It’s why I don’t believe in copy-and-paste branding formulas. It's why I don’t obsess over what the “experts” say works. And it's why I help people create brands that reflects their humanity...not just their highlight reel.

This journey is messy. It changes. It makes space for your growth, your values, your energy.

And yeah...it takes time.

If you’re navigating a lot right now…this is your reminder:

You’re allowed to do this differently.​
You’re allowed to grow slow.
You’re allowed to be tender and tired and believe in a better way to do business.

And two things can be true at once: You can be building a business you love and not have all the answers yet.

You’re doing great!

Thank you so much for giving me space in your inbox! Missed a previous email? Catch up here!​ xo Emily Lauren Whenever you're ready, here are some ways we can work together: ✍️ Branding – Anything but vanilla branding so you can stand out and call in dream clients! 🤖 Brand Recipe Maker Bot – Trained by me to turn your business brain "scramblies" into a clear brand guide—so every post, page, and pitch feels confident, consistent, and totally aligned. Intro price: $199 CAD! 💋 Website Templates – Websites that help you stand out without burning out (coming soon!). *COMING SOON* More tools, templates and support for values-led entrepreneurs who want to show up online like themselves. ​