My Inner Voice Is A Mean Girl

1 tip

last month, i hit a rough patch. one of those lows you don't see coming, but feels like everything is caving in when it hits.

i pressed the pause button.

• told my business partner i was taking an undetermined hiatus

• ended all active client relationships and paused content creation

• stopped relentless doom-scrolling disguised as "continuous learning"

it wasn’t because i lost faith in my work. in fact, the opposite:

i believe so much in what i’m doing that i saw my current trajectory as setting myself up for failure.

i could feel it. i was standing on a teetering tower of Jenga blocks, one pull away from it all crashing down.

why?

the week earlier my wife and i had "the talk"—a conversation many entrepreneurs with partners can relate to. that raw, emotional, chat about balance, priorities, health, and our shared future.

through my entrepreneurial career—6 long years—she’s been my rock. my unwavering source of support. but, now, she was the one voicing concerns.

it broke my heart.

we're deep in the parenting game, with a 4-year-old and a 16-month-old. but "we-time" had somehow morphed into "me-time". including everything from my business to my everyday decisions.

i was enacting that famous saying:

would i call my actions "insane"? not quite. but "delusional" fits.

if my current approaches resulted in:

• personal debt

• awful decisions

• failed businesses

• unhappiness for my family

then my intentions weren’t aligned with my actions.

i needed to look inward.

i ramped up talking with my psychiatrist, walking by the lake, and working through a familiar book, The Kindness Method by Shahroo Izadi (more on her approach in a later edition).

and with self-reflection came some stark self-realizations:

• i hate myself. i can’t recall a time when I felt otherwise. and I don’t know why.

• the self-hatred manifests as a horrendously mean inner voice. attempting to motivate me through fear, disgust, and self-loathing.

• these 2 things have resulted in my current state of desperation. hoping some level of success would finally make me feel worthy and valuable.

heavy, i know. but there’s power in knowing and naming.

so, at a friend’s suggestion, i gave that nasty f*cking voice a name. an identity separate from my own.

enter “Regina George.”

now, every time i hear her trying to bring me down, i know it's not me.

it’s just Regina, doing b*tchy Regina things.

so, as you head into this week, take this 1 tip with you:

recognize that your inner critic isn’t you. it's a manifestation of your fears and insecurities, working against your best interests.

name it. separate from it. rise above it.

2 tools

tool 1: Descript

tool title: Descript

tool description: image you could edit a video transcript just like you were editing in a Google doc? that’s Descript. like a swiss army for my video and podcast people.

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tool 2: beehiiv

tool title: beehiiv

tool description: 

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3 takes

1) Jack Butcher: an oldie but a goodie reminding us that the threshold for a “successful” podcast is still so very low. it’s not too late. you didn’t miss your shot. here’s your sign to start one (or keep going!)

2) Erica Schneider: announcing an EPIC lineup of 13 lecturers for her upcoming Platform Launchpad cohort with Kasey Jones’ here. (yes, that’s me lecturing in the same cohort as Justin Welsch, Wes Kao, and Jay Clouse…f*cking pinch me).

3) ME: reminding you it’s possible to grow online, even if you’re not a bro, here.

that’s all beautiful humans.

keep pushing and remember…you got this 💪🏻

see you next week,

kristina.

P.S.

whenever you're ready, there are 2 ways we can work together:

specific questions? ask by responding to this email so i can answer and share in future editions! i personally read every single response.

1:1 brand narrative + stories discovery: each month i take 3-4 high-potential creatives + entrepreneurs through my proven framework to help build a personal brand that resonates through personal narrative + stories. if this is you, respond to this email with 💪🏻🖤 to check on available spots.

P.P.S

• i’m Canadian. there will be extra “u”s, double “l”s, and more. this is not a mistake. it’s willful.

• i’m Queer. a mother, a wife, and an advocate for equity of all people, not just Queer folks. openly, and without filter, sharing my personal narrative - complete with all these beautiful components - is how i’m authentically me.

if any of the above isn’t for you, please unsubscribe. no hard feelings.