“ how are you guys even building a brand? ”
“ do you know how many companies you’re going against? ”
“ you didn’t even study creative design.”
“ what are people going to think?”
“ you’re not good enough. go do something else.”
those weren’t just words from others, they were the whispers echoing inside my own head. the doubts that convinced me i wasn’t capable. the fears that made me believe i was wasting my time. little did I know, i was my biggest enemy. it wasn’t the world that stood in my way, it was my mind. the same mind that could imagine dreams was also the one building walls around them.
it all started with a simple but painful realization: no one was going to save me. not my friends. not my family. not even the people i love the most. because no one can hand you hard work, passion, or purpose, or belief. those are things you have to dig out from within, even when it’s hard.
i had created a box in my own head, a box labeled “realistic,” filled with fear, doubt, and expectations. and inside that box, i watched opportunities pass me by because i was too afraid to reach for them.
but something shifted. i started asking myself: what if i could be my biggest motivator instead of my biggest critic? what happens when i dont do anything? what if i could silence the voice that says ‘you can’t’ and listen to the one that whispers ‘try anyway’?
coming back from college wasn’t easy. there’s this strange silence that hits you. that gap between who you were and who you’re supposed to become. you’re searching for jobs, searching for meaning, searching for yourself. and somewhere in that search, the world keeps reminding you that whatever you do next has to be forever. but the truth is, nothing lasts forever. every decision, every experience, every risk is just another step closer to who you’re meant to be.
i always knew i had a creative gift, but i never gave myself permission to use it. one day, my aunt offered me a job, making content videos for her social media. simple, right? but my mind immediately started listing every reason to say no: you didn’t study marketing. you don’t know how to edit like the pros. you’ll mess it up.
but then something inside me said, what if this is the start of something? what if this is part of the process? so i said yes. with fear in one hand and curiosity in the other. and when i finished that first video, i watched it go out into the world. i watched people react. i watched it do well. and for the first time, i saw the beauty in proving myself wrong. that small “yes” became a seed. i started learning more, creating more, and enjoying it. i was no longer doing it for validation, i was doing it because i loved the process. because i could feel myself growing.
little did i know, that journey would prepare me to step out of my comfort zone and put in the work for our baby, honicove. a dream that me and my two honis had been slowly building for years.
we didn’t have all the answers. but what we did have was eachother, determination, a shared dream. we had a group of honis, whether our bestfriends or family….they believed in the brand, they believed in the vision, and most importantly, they believed in us. belief multiplies when you’re surrounded by the right people.
but that’s also a story for another time.
this one is about the mind, the battle we all live with every day. your mind can be your greatest supporter or your cruelest bully. it can convince you that you’re unworthy, or it can remind you that you’re capable.
and the truth is harsh but freeing: no one is going to save you. you will have to save yourself, over and over again.
people always think i know what i’m doing. the truth is, i don’t. we dont. even if you don’t know what to do, just do it. you’ll slowly see things come together. if there's one thing i’ve learned, it’s that no one has it figured out. not the people you admire. not the ones who seem like they’re ahead. everyone is building, failing, rebuilding…just at different stages of the same journey.
so stop comparing your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty. stop waiting for permission. stop letting fear tell you that you’re not ready. because you are. you’ve always been.
the world doesn’t need a perfect version of you, it needs a real one. and one day, when you look back, you’ll see how every doubt, every risk, and every moment of trying anyway was leading you right where you were meant to be.
so keep showing up. keep creating. keep learning.
stop waiting for the perfect moment. stop waiting for someone to tell you you’re good enough. because the magic begins the moment you decide to try anyway. put in the work. take the risks. prove yourself wrong. and when you do, you’ll realize, no one ever had to save you. you were always capable of saving yourself.
you’ll fall, you’ll doubt, you’ll question but you’ll rise again, stronger each time. because saving yourself is not a one-time act. it’s a lifelong habit.
go chase your dreams, honi. be your biggest fan, because when you believe in you, the world will too.
no one is coming to save you
“ how are you guys even building a brand? ”
“ do you know how many companies you’re going against? ”
“ you didn’t even study creative design.”
“ what are people going to think?”
“ you’re not good enough. go do something else.”
those weren’t just words from others, they were the whispers echoing inside my own head. the doubts that convinced me i wasn’t capable. the fears that made me believe i was wasting my time. little did I know, i was my biggest enemy. it wasn’t the world that stood in my way, it was my mind. the same mind that could imagine dreams was also the one building walls around them.
it all started with a simple but painful realization: no one was going to save me. not my friends. not my family. not even the people i love the most. because no one can hand you hard work, passion, or purpose, or belief. those are things you have to dig out from within, even when it’s hard.
i had created a box in my own head, a box labeled “realistic,” filled with fear, doubt, and expectations. and inside that box, i watched opportunities pass me by because i was too afraid to reach for them.
but something shifted. i started asking myself: what if i could be my biggest motivator instead of my biggest critic? what happens when i dont do anything? what if i could silence the voice that says ‘you can’t’ and listen to the one that whispers ‘try anyway’?
coming back from college wasn’t easy. there’s this strange silence that hits you. that gap between who you were and who you’re supposed to become. you’re searching for jobs, searching for meaning, searching for yourself. and somewhere in that search, the world keeps reminding you that whatever you do next has to be forever. but the truth is, nothing lasts forever. every decision, every experience, every risk is just another step closer to who you’re meant to be.
i always knew i had a creative gift, but i never gave myself permission to use it. one day, my aunt offered me a job, making content videos for her social media. simple, right? but my mind immediately started listing every reason to say no: you didn’t study marketing. you don’t know how to edit like the pros. you’ll mess it up.
but then something inside me said, what if this is the start of something? what if this is part of the process? so i said yes. with fear in one hand and curiosity in the other. and when i finished that first video, i watched it go out into the world. i watched people react. i watched it do well. and for the first time, i saw the beauty in proving myself wrong. that small “yes” became a seed. i started learning more, creating more, and enjoying it. i was no longer doing it for validation, i was doing it because i loved the process. because i could feel myself growing.
little did i know, that journey would prepare me to step out of my comfort zone and put in the work for our baby, honicove. a dream that me and my two honis had been slowly building for years.
we didn’t have all the answers. but what we did have was eachother, determination, a shared dream. we had a group of honis, whether our bestfriends or family….they believed in the brand, they believed in the vision, and most importantly, they believed in us. belief multiplies when you’re surrounded by the right people.
but that’s also a story for another time.
this one is about the mind, the battle we all live with every day. your mind can be your greatest supporter or your cruelest bully. it can convince you that you’re unworthy, or it can remind you that you’re capable.
and the truth is harsh but freeing: no one is going to save you. you will have to save yourself, over and over again.
people always think i know what i’m doing. the truth is, i don’t. we dont. even if you don’t know what to do, just do it. you’ll slowly see things come together. if there's one thing i’ve learned, it’s that no one has it figured out. not the people you admire. not the ones who seem like they’re ahead. everyone is building, failing, rebuilding…just at different stages of the same journey.
so stop comparing your chapter one to someone else’s chapter twenty. stop waiting for permission. stop letting fear tell you that you’re not ready. because you are. you’ve always been.
the world doesn’t need a perfect version of you, it needs a real one. and one day, when you look back, you’ll see how every doubt, every risk, and every moment of trying anyway was leading you right where you were meant to be.
so keep showing up. keep creating. keep learning.
stop waiting for the perfect moment. stop waiting for someone to tell you you’re good enough. because the magic begins the moment you decide to try anyway. put in the work. take the risks. prove yourself wrong. and when you do, you’ll realize, no one ever had to save you. you were always capable of saving yourself.
you’ll fall, you’ll doubt, you’ll question but you’ll rise again, stronger each time. because saving yourself is not a one-time act. it’s a lifelong habit.
go chase your dreams, honi. be your biggest fan, because when you believe in you, the world will too.