What We’ve Learned After 7 Years of Building Brands with *ACTUAL* soul

Seven years.

That number has been sitting with me because most people don’t get the chance to say their business made it this far. On the outside, it looks shiny—working for yourself, running a team, having a cool office. Ambitious. Inspirational. Aspirational. And yes, some days it is. But here’s the part we don’t talk about enough: it’s also really, really hard.

I’ve learned the hard way (many times over) that forcing things just to keep a business moving forward will eventually bite you in the ass. I’ve had to let go of people I loved. I’ve had to make decisions that felt heavy but were right for the company. I’ve had to accept that caring about what people think and curating a safe, empowering environment is important—but it’s not the whole picture.

The harder truth is this: leadership isn’t just being the boss who gives space to flourish. It’s being the boss who can give real, concrete feedback. Who can share the hard lessons. Who can make the uncomfortable calls. And in doing that, you don’t diminish people—you make them better.

Another lesson that’s finally sunk in: you don’t have to be for everyone. And when you stop trying to be, you realize something freeing—the ones you are for, the ones who get it, those are your lifers. Some people come into your life for a season, some for a reason. Both matter. Both are gifts. And both teach you something about yourself and about your company.

For a long time, I carried a backpack of guilt about this business—guilt that if I had a life outside of work, it might somehow tarnish the “ENC effect.” As I’ve gotten older, as boundaries have been drawn and I’ve allowed myself to be slightly less available at the drop of a hat, there have been shifts in relationships and dynamics. But here’s the paradox: that space has given me a fresher perspective than ever before. I care deeply about this work, I feel invigorated by it, and—maybe most importantly—I now allow myself the space to miss it.

Before ENC, I said yes to everything. I grinded it out for anyone who would give me a chance. That meant a lot of thankless jobs, bosses who didn’t care about me on a human level, and being valued only for how quickly I could bring a latte. Those experiences burned into me one mission: if I ever had my own company, I would rewrite that story.

And it has been an evolution. There have been sticky seasons where nothing felt easy. There have been smooth seasons like the one we’re in now. The difference? Learning to pay attention. To see what’s working, what’s not, and to release the tight grip. To lead with clarity, not just care.

This year feels like a turning point—not just because we made it seven years, but because for the first time we invested in our own story the way we invest in our clients. We finally held a mirror up to ourselves. And I feel more connected to this brand, to this team, to this work, than I ever have before.

Seven years doesn’t feel like an ending. It feels like proof. Proof that messy, human, trial-and-error leadership is still leadership. Proof that evolution beats perfection every time. Proof that when you build with both strategy and soul, you build something that lasts.

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