Coming Back to What Lights Me Up (and Why It’s Changed Everything)

A few years ago, my life split distinctly into before and after.

My husband was in a traumatic accident and almost didn’t make it. The kind of moment that stops time, knocks the wind out of you, and permanently rewires your nervous system. From that day forward, everything shifted. And without even realizing it, I slipped straight into survival mode.

You know the kind.
Show up. Keep going. Hold it together.
Do what needs to be done... no pauses, no processing, no slowing down.

Survival mode carried me for a season. It kept my family afloat. It kept my business moving. It allowed me to be strong when I didn’t feel strong at all. But survival mode was never meant to be permanent and, eventually, it started costing me more than it was giving.

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Choosing Balance (Even When It Wasn’t the Easy Choice)

Last year, I made one of the hardest and most intentional decisions of my adult life:
I went part-time in my nursing job. 

And let me be clear, this was not the best financial decision for me personally (quite bluntly, this is the stupidest thing financially I have ever done). On paper, it didn’t make sense. It meant tightening things up, saying no more often, going into debt, and feeling the weight of that choice in very real, very scary ways.

But mentally? Emotionally? Spiritually?
It brought me back to life.

I finally had the space to breathe again. To think clearly. To show up fully for my family, my businesses, and myself. It allowed my mental health to return to a place where I could focus on what actually matters - self-care, balance, loving others well, and leading from a grounded place instead of pure exhaustion.

That decision didn’t magically fix everything though.

The truth is, the rest of 2025 was spent getting my ducks back in a row... catching up on life, rebuilding routines, untangling the things that had fallen behind while I was just trying to survive. It wasn’t glamorous. It wasn’t fast. But it was necessary. And.. I am still not untangled but I can slightly see the chaos clearing.

And now, I can finally feel the alignment settling in. 

This year, I decided I’m done just surviving.

I’m intentionally bringing self-care, balance, and passion back into my world without abandoning the things that matter most to me and the businesses I’ve built with so much heart.

And let me tell you… it’s changed everything.

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Getting Back to the Heart of Why I Started

Running a business, especially one built on community, can quietly pull you into autopilot. Sales goals. Schedules. Inventory. Content. Repeat.

So I made a conscious choice to recenter myself and The Dressing Room on our core values:
    •    Loving people well
    •    Building confidence
    •    Creating a space where women feel seen, encouraged, and lifted up

Not just talking about it, but living it daily.

Because clothes are fun, yes. But confidence? That’s the real product.
When someone walks out of our doors standing taller than when they walked in... that matters. That’s the win.

When I slowed down enough to reconnect with why we do what we do, the joy came rushing back.

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Confidence Isn’t Just What We Sell - It’s What We Practice

Confidence doesn’t come from a mirror alone. It comes from feeling safe, supported, and celebrated.

I’ve been more intentional about:
    •    Encouraging conversations
    •    Affirming words
    •    Creating moments where people feel genuinely cared for

And here’s the wild part, when you pour into others like that, it fills you too.

Loving people well isn’t an extra task.
It’s the foundation. And it's my purpose.

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Why Photography Belongs in This Story Too

For a long time, I treated my photography business like a side note. Something separate. Something I squeezed in.

But recently, I realized something important:
It carries the exact same mission.

Photography allows me to:
    •    Tell real stories
    •    Help people see themselves differently
    •    Capture confidence, connection, and beauty as it already exists

It’s not a distraction from my main work, it’s an extension of it.

By allowing myself to lean into photography, I wasn’t adding more to my plate. I was reclaiming a piece of myself that had been waiting patiently while I survived.

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Balance Isn’t Quitting, It’s Aligning

Choosing balance doesn’t mean I care less about my family, my finances, my to do lists, my businesses, etc.
It means I care enough to protect the version of me that runs them.

This year looks like:
    •    Intentional rest
    •    Saying no without guilt & building boundaries
    •    Making room for creativity again
    •    Trusting that I don’t have to burn myself out to be successful

And the ripple effect has been undeniable. My energy is better. My work feels lighter. My purpose feels louder.

When you’re aligned, people feel it.

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The Lesson I’m Carrying Forward

I’m learning that success isn’t about piling more on.

It’s about coming back to what matters most.

To passion.
To people.
To purpose.
To yourself.

I spent years surviving and I’m proud of that version of me.
But now? I’m choosing to live, lead, and create from a place of intention.

And that feels good.

We created the "I Am" wall at the store this January as an example of this process of being intentionally loving with ourselves and others with affirmations. I want to build this foundation for not only myself but for all the ladies we meet along the way! We are worthy of not just surviving, but living with purpose and intention! :)