💌 Welcome to the Revolution, Beautiful Rebel

Hey there, gorgeous soul—

If you’ve ever looked around at your “perfectly fine” life and thought,
​“Is this it?”​
…then you, my friend, are in the right damn place.

This is the very first issue of Unfollowing the American “Dream”: Success, Rewritten — a weekly love letter, pep talk, permission slip, and rebel roadmap rolled into one, for women like us who are done settling for a life that looks good but feels empty.

We’re not here for beige dreams and white picket fences that trap us.
We’re here for soul-lit freedom, bold reinvention, tiny homes and huge joy, thriving after toxic relationships, building soul-led businesses, and finally—finally—putting ourselves at the top of our own damn priority list.

Every week, I’ll be sliding into your inbox with: ✨ Real stories from women rewriting their lives
✨ Juicy tips on downsizing, RV life, self-care, and soulful biz-building
✨ Recipes, printables, mindset shifts, and glow-up goodies
✨ Ask a Grown-Ass Woman — where we answer the BIG questions with honesty and sass

No fluff. No shame. Just real talk, radiant truth, and one fierce woman to another saying:
​You get to do life differently.

So pour a cup, kick off your shoes, and settle in.
We’re about to unfollow everything that never felt right… and start building the life that finally does.

Let’s rewrite the rules, beautiful.

​

Ever wake up feeling meh — like you need 3 cups of coffee, a pep talk from Oprah, and a sign from the universe just to function? Yeah, same. (In fact, I sometimes think I’m the Queen of “aww do I haaavvvee to?)

But here’s the deal: your energy determines what you attract. If you’re vibing low, you’re going to pull in stress, frustration, and more “meh.” But if you shift your energy — even just for five minutes — you can reboot your mindset, realign with your goals, and start manifesting your dream life.

​Check out this short blog post with 5 short rituals to instantly shift your energy to manifest your dream life!​

​

What If.....

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to ditch it all and move to a tiny home? (Or wondered what kind of crazy person would even want to?!)

If so, you'll love this glimpse into the mind of a madwoman (or middleaged; pretty much the same thing sometimes!) This is my story about making the move from the home I thought I'd die in...to a MUCH smaller floating home. Check it out here in "Why I Ditched My Big, Beautiful House for a Chris Craft 381 Catalina (and Why I'd Still do it Again, Even with the Motion Sickness)."​

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Not sure what lights you up? Feeling kind of meh...? This FREE 12- page Vision Statement Worksheet will help you find your passion and purpose so you can rediscover what will truly make your life light up! The carefully researched and crafted questions are designed to help you dig deep and uncover your true passion to lead you to your dream life. (This guide is sold with my Passion and Purpose Bundle, but it's yours FREE here!)​

🚫 This Week’s Unfollow:

Unfollow the belief that productivity = worth.

You are not a machine.
You don’t need to “earn” your rest, your joy, or your damn afternoon nap.
This week, ditch the pressure to prove you're doing enough.

✨ You are enough—even when you're doing absolutely nothing.

Permission granted to slow down, savor, and stop hustling for validation. Your worth isn't measured in checkboxes. It's measured in presence, peace, and the sparkle in your eye when you're truly alive.

📝 Rewritten Truth of the Week

Old Story: “You made your bed, now lie in it.”
​Rewritten:“You made that bed under pressure, people-pleasing, and societal BS. You can get up, strip the sheets, and buy a damn hammock instead.”

This week’s truth? You are allowed to change your mind. To outgrow your decisions. To pivot. To get up and walk away from any situation that no longer serves the woman you're becoming.

Comfort zones are cute… but they’re not where the magic happens.

✨ This Week’s Glow-Up List

1. 🎧 Listen:​
   ​Podcast Episode: “When You’re Ready to Burn the Rulebook” – The Expanded Podcast by To Be Magnetic​
   A powerful convo on unlearning what no longer serves you and creating a life that aligns with your authentic self.

2. 🛁 Do:​
​ Create a Ritual Bath (or Shower) for Release

Light a candle, add a few drops of lavender or eucalyptus, and as the water runs over you, imagine it carrying away stress, guilt, and shoulds. Say aloud: “I release what was never mine to carry.” You can try this magical Herbal Detox bath recipe here! (Feels ridiculously heavenly!)​
(Yes, it’s witchy. Yes, it’s magical.)

3. 🛍️ Try: Buy yourself one ridiculously unnecessary, totally joyful item​
A sparkly pen. A disco ball for your car. A leopard-print journal. Something that makes you smile for no other reason than you exist and deserve fun.

This was my "me" gift this month. I've gotten migraines for years and also get really puffy--especially this time of year with all this damn pollen. This miracle Facial Tool Set by BAIMEI is on sale for only $7.99 at Amazon right now and I HIGHLY recommend. (and no...I don't get paid to recommend this product, just friend to friend). You can find it here. ​

🔓 Freedom Files: Jessi’s Story

Real women. Real rebellion. Real radiance.

I didn’t always live on a boat.

Once upon a time, I had the “dream”—a 2,800 sq ft house, a marriage that looked fine from the outside, the picture-perfect life complete with matching throw pillows and emotional exhaustion.

But under the surface?
I was drowning.

In obligations.
In silence.
In the never-ending pressure to smile, stay, and keep everything looking okay.

I stayed in a toxic relationship for far too long because it was what I thought “good women” did—for the kids, for appearances, for financial stability.
I said yes when I wanted to scream.
I minimized. I justified. I sacrificed.
And somewhere in all of that, I lost me.

Until one day, I didn’t.

I started listening to that tiny whisper that said, “You don’t have to live like this.”​
I began choosing myself—quietly at first, then louder.
I left behind the big house and the life that was draining me... and moved onto a Catalina 381 boat. (Yep. A BOAT.)
I started building a business from scratch.
I ditched the shoulds and started living by soul.

And you know what? I learned I could live without a lot of things—except peace, purpose, and my own damn voice.

Now, I help other women do the same.

This isn’t just about tiny homes or sailboats or quitting your job and becoming a boss babe (though that part’s fun too). It’s about the freedom to choose yourself. To walk away from what’s breaking you. To stop waiting for permission and start writing your own script.

So if you’re standing at the edge of your own big decision—leaving, downsizing, reinventing—just know:

You’re not crazy.
You’re not selfish.
You’re not alone.

You’re a grown-ass woman waking up.
And that is a revolution worth celebrating.

💥 Try This:

✨ Freedom Reflection Prompt:​
What is one area of your life where you're still following a “dream” that doesn’t actually belong to you? What would it look like to gently start letting it go?

🔥 Tiny Step Challenge:​
Declutter one space in your home this week—not just physically, but energetically. Choose something that no longer represents who you’re becoming. Let it go as an act of liberation.

Ask a Grown-Ass Woman

📭 Your safe space to ask the questions you’re afraid to Google.

Welcome to Ask a Grown-Ass Woman, where we dive deep into your juiciest questions about recreating your life to one that fits YOU.

Our first question comes from Sami B. in Littleton.

“How do I know it’s really time to leave my marriage—and not just a rough patch?”

Answer from a Grown-Ass Woman:

Oh honey. If you're asking this question, your soul has already started packing.

Let’s be real—every long-term relationship hits potholes. But when the entire road turns into a bottomless sinkhole of loneliness, resentment, and silence? That’s not a rough patch. That’s emotional starvation.

Here’s a gut check:
Are you staying because you love him...
or because you’re afraid of what leaving would mean?

If the answer is a: have you tried discussing your feelings with your husband? b: it might be time to start making plans.

Fear is not a good enough reason to keep shrinking yourself. Finances can be untangled. Homes can be sold. History can be honored—without letting it chain you to misery.

You’re not selfish for wanting more. You’re brave for even considering it.
And I’ll tell you what—peace tastes so much better than “comfortable.”

​

Our next question comes from Abigail in Maryland:

“Is it crazy to sell my house and move into an RV… alone?”

Answer from a Grown-Ass Woman:

Crazy? Only if freedom, simplicity, and waking up to mountain sunrises are considered criminal.

(Which in some HOA neighborhoods… might be.)

You are not running away from something—you’re running toward yourself.
Trading square footage for sanity is a power move.

Will it be all Pinterest-perfect campfires and fairy lights? Nah. Sometimes it’ll be empty tanks, cracked hoses, and you cursing at the weather while holding a wrench.

But you’ll also feel a kind of lightness—an emotional uncluttering—that no big house and full attic can buy.

Take the leap. You can always buy another couch. You can’t buy back time.

Our final question this week comes from Lin in Albuquerque.

“Is it too late to start dating again at 50… and how do I even begin?”

Answer from a Grown-Ass Woman:

First of all—hell no, it is not too late. You are not expired. You are extra aged and extra fine.

Dating at 50 isn’t about swiping your way to a wedding. It’s about rediscovering your desire, your standards, and your power to say “nope” with a wine-glass raise.

Start with this mindset: You’re not auditioning to be chosen. You’re choosing.​
Big difference.

Start with one thing:

• A dating app.
• A local event.
• Telling the universe you’re open (and telling your friends too).

Will it be awkward at times? Yep.
Will some men be emotionally stunted man-children with fishing pics and weird bios? Also yes.

But will there also be moments of fun, spark, connection, and rediscovering you? Oh yes, and it’s gonna be juicy.