So much has happened since I started my branding business. You have been with me on this journey every step of the way. So many of you have supported me with messages, posts, and reviews on social media. Many of you have purchased my products or attended challenges or webinars. Some of you have subscribed to my podcast (Burning Bridges & Dancing Naked) and follow my blogs. I am beyond thankful for all your support. I know I have been MIA lately with fewer posts & less communication, so let’s talk about this journey to where we are at.
First, it was changing the name from Girl Talk- She Means Business to the brand name of Michelle Sukow. After my divorce, it went from all business to personal development & business topics. As I found my community, I niched down to a Restart Strategist & Mid-Life Champion, focusing on how to get unstuck and living your best life where you are at and owning your professional life.
Second, I went from owning multiple brick and mortar businesses with a partner to sole ownership of them all. While that was the best thing possible to happen, it came with a lot of my time being focused primarily on that. It was not easy to run 24/7 businesses and build a brand! Let’s also throw in there that I was healing from and dealing with the trauma I had just gotten away from having to restart both my personal life and my professional life.
Next, there was a complete rebuild of my brick & mortar businesses. Revitalization of our company culture was my first project. We had a good team, we just needed a healthier environment to work in. The purging of junk that cluttered our workspaces was one of the most freeing things ever. I remember the smiles on everyone’s faces while we tossed things out. We cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. That is not an overstatement – it took us forever to get that shop cleaned up. We built up our team. We updated our equipment. We sold so much unnecessary stuff. I continued in therapy… heck, I’m still there. There’s so much healing to do. I continue to work on me every day. For me to be the best leader for my team, I have to be healthy!
I am so proud of what this team has accomplished in such a short time. Moving on to surviving a global pandemic that has lasted years and has no guaranteed end in sight must be one of my biggest business challenges. After that, I hired a general manager. It’s the first time in 21 years we’ve had a manager. Up until that point, it was me. I wore so many hats that I was losing the quality of work in the areas that needed me the most. The interim “managers” did a great job filling in, and I don’t know what I would have done without them, but it was time for a GM. All three of us had an idea of who we wanted to bring in, but would he do it? We made the deal, and it was a gamechanger for all of us. Sometimes it felt like we were pivoting directions a lot. We needed to make the changes to figure out what worked best. However, without those changes, we would not have gotten to the conclusion of a GM. And I, for one, am beyond grateful. 😊After 22 years, I am no longer working 7 days a week. This, by far, is my favorite thing about our growth. While we are still a small business, we do BIG things!
As scary as the thought was to be single at 50 in today’s world, and then living on my own for the first time, it could not have been more freeing. With the loss of all that chaos, my world was at peace. My home became my sanctuary. Thankfully so, since we had to make it through this global pandemic. My family became closer. My main goal was to get healthy. I was in therapy, and still am. When I was ready to date again, I did not want to bring my past into my future. Let me tell you that now I see those red flags, but I also own what I still need work on, too. You were there when I cleaned house on my inner circle. You were there when I started my gratitude journey. You were there when I learned how to restart my life. You were there when I stumbled. You were there to celebrate my wins. As I embraced midlife and took control of it, you were there. Maybe you were there to support me, or maybe you were there to get my help because you didn’t want to do this on your own. Either way, I am forever grateful to you. Learning my purpose of helping others who are going through the same things I’ve gone through was powerful. I found my why. It was to help others so they didn’t have to do it alone. Through all of this, I found my community. It is a privilege to help those who want it and be a part of this amazing group.
Those are all some pretty big changes, wouldn’t you say? Well, they just keep going… And this is the part of my life that I have chosen to protect. There are just going to be some things I’m not willing to share yet. I want to protect that piece of happiness. I want to nurture it. I want to immerse myself in those moments privately and enjoy the journey. When the time is right, things will be shared.
These past two months have been a crazy blur… The winter season, even though it was the mildest winter we’ve had in a long time, is still our busiest season AND my least favorite season, so it always takes up a lot of my focus and time. It pulls me away from my brand, so you see me less during this time. I have 17 families relying on me here, so I have to stay focused and make good decisions. I was sick twice during these past two months, something that never happens to me. But it did now! The first time, while it was a pain and lasted a few weeks, it didn’t take me away from work. I worked straight through it. The second time, it was like getting hit by a freight train. It knocked me out for almost a week and I missed a few days of work. This one also lasted a few weeks and didn’t seem to want to leave. I know that I was pushing myself and not listening to my body. I tend to do that during major changes. My body kicked back – hard!
That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been working behind the scenes as much as I possibly can. As I get settled into these transitions and also keep my body healthy, you will see so much more of me. I just finished the My Lane Too Membership Community. Join like-minded individuals who are looking to level up and own where they are in their personal and professional lives! I’m in the middle of my next challenge, which I can’t wait to finish. I’m also working on my book when I can. There are so many more exciting things coming that I’m passionate about sharing as well.
Thank you for being a part of my journey. It is a privilege to be a part of your journey, too.
Keep Living Your Best Life!
Michelle