Celebrating 100 Years of Black History Month

Hey honeys and hustlers,

Today is my one-year anniversary of quitting alcohol and the start of Black History Month. One of those is arguably more important than the other, but they are both wholly important to me. When I began my sobriety journey 1 year ago, it started with one simple thought: I want to see how good things can get. My sleep quality. My creativity. My business. My relationships. My life as the sum total of these and more. I think more clearly. I make decisions more soundly. Even though my sleep schedule is still somewhat unpredictable, the quality of my sleep has improved significantly, which positively affects every other area of my life. The first 4-6 weeks of not drinking were the hardest, but ever since then, I haven’t regretted that decision in the slightest.

I’m not saying that everyone should stop drinking. This is a personal decision that I don’t seem to be alone in making. I do think that entrepreneurship adds to my anxiety (naturally), and that eliminating alcohol from my diet has helped me rationally think through stressful moments, decisions, and situations. Quitting alcohol felt like a small decision at the time. Looking back on the past year, this was when I began asking myself big questions and being at peace with the time it took me to seek answers.

February 1st is significant for another reason: it’s the day I decided to embark on a daily podcast challenge in honor of Black History Month. Because why do one hard thing when I could do TWO??? I said I stopped drinking; I didn’t say my actions would immediately make sense. I launched Season 4 of my podcast during Black History Month in 2024 with a slate of 4 episodes featuring Black entrepreneurs. I wanted to continue the tradition of honoring the month by using my voice, and yes, maybe a daily podcast challenge was an extreme way to do that. The challenge pulled me and stretched me in new, creative ways. I had to let go of my idea of perfection to hit publish each day. And while I wasn’t the most organized with this challenge, it was my highest month for downloads by a long shot. High effort, high reward. So I’m keeping the tradition going, but this time, with a little more structure.

This year, the theme will be: Book Club. Each day this month, I’ll be reading 1 chapter from a book and sharing my thoughts on the words, the author, and their relevance. We’re one month into the year, and it is more important than ever that creatives feel safe, bold, and determined to use their voices to create a positive impact in any way they can. I’ll be reading popular business and creativity books while also highlighting women, Black, queer, and independent authors. You can find the first episode on Apple or Spotify.

If my (audio) book club isn’t enough to get you excited about this month, here are a few other things you can look forward to:

Treat yourself. Rest. The people closest to you and your creative business will thank you.