Changes in store starting next week

Today I shared an update to subscribers from my two newsletters, announcing a change in the way I'm doing things moving forward.

The TL/DR: we're joining forces.

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How's your Great Lock-In going so far?

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, do yourself a favor and don't look it up. Just stay blissfully out of the loop of yet another commoditized self-improvement trend.

This entire year has been an experiment in self-improvement for me, so I'm making no lock-in resolutions. But I am making changes, and I wanted to share that news with you.

You likely already know I did two major things earlier this year: left my job to start my own business, and started writing a book. There's a third "big thing" that's been quietly evolving behind the scenes. Over the last month, I've spent more time listening to my instincts, tuning out noise, and thinking about what feels right to me.

And man, has that paid off. To cut to the chase, I realized I've been going about things the wrong way from the get-go. I treated my book like one part of my life, and building the business like another. It made sense at first. I figured some people would want to hear about the book but not the business; others, all business and no book. Maybe that's true for you.

But I hope that if you're here and reading this on an even semi-regular basis, it's because in some way you're just here for me. You're my friend. My family. A kindred soul in a world where it feels hard to find others like you. You like what I have to say, how I'm saying it, or you just like me as a person, all of which I'm grateful for. I know there's so many voices vying for your attention today, and I don't take it for granted that you'd sign up to hear mine.

But if I'm being honest with you, I haven't been honest with you. Splitting these two big things in my life just makes me feel like two incomplete personas, and it's left no room for who I am outside of being an author or being a CEO. I'd rather be a whole, real person with all of you.

It's why moving forward I'm combining my business newsletter and my book newsletter. And I won't just be talking about how crap-tastic corporate America is for women, or railing against all the hype around social media marketing. There'll be plenty of both, but I'm also going to make space for the rest of me. That means talking about friendships, family, life, politics (yes, I'm going there), stories from my past, and hopes for the future that have nothing to do with the book or the business.

In trendy Internet parlance, I guess that's a personal brand. I can't describe to you the yuck I feel using that phrase. I'm not interested in commoditizing myself, I just want to be myself, fully.

If you're game to stick around for that, I'd love to have you. If not, no hard feelings. We all have to make choices about whose voice we do and don't welcome into our lives, and if you've got a limited attention span (who doesn't?) and something or someone else feels more compelling, I wish you the best, truly. I'm not for everyone, and I'm okay with that.

What does this mean for you if you're sticking with me? More consistent connection, for one thing. A more cohesive picture of who I am and what I'm doing in life, for another. And hopefully, a better seat in the front row as I'm building a community and a future that feels purposeful, impactful. Big.

Next week's email will be the first combined mailing. In the meantime, I hope you're lighting those fall candles, working your way through your Halloween movie watch list, and enjoying the coziness of warm blankets and a hot cup of whatever you love.

- Megan