My Journey

While quarantined and working from home, I was at my desk, in front of the computer, working from the time I woke up until the time I went to bed. Most days I wouldn’t leave my office unless I had to use the bathroom, my husband would literally bring me food so I would eat.

My team’s workload had doubled (we worked on knit and lounge product - and tee’s and sweatshirts were BOOMING in quarantine) and our calendar was cut in half due to the supply chain issues happening around the world. So, double the work + half the time to do it in + the same team size led to major burnout. This didn’t happen overnight, but slowly developed over months, like snow building on a branch, it gets a little heavier and heavier, until one day the branch breaks. I was in weekly communication with my manager and was very open about the struggles my team faced, and asked for another team member, but was told we did not have the budget. And as someone who loved her job, her team, and this brand, I tried my best to keep my branches from breaking, and trickling snowfall down to the team.

I wasn’t taking care of myself - I didn’t have the time to (or so I told myself), so I would eat crappy food that took no time to make, I didn’t exercise at all, and I was drinking every night to unwind (supporting the local restaurant that was filling growlers so their kegs didn’t expire). I was so focused on getting the work done on deadline that I pushed everything else aside. And then eventually, the branch broke.

I had two panic attacks within a week, with the latter one leading to an asthma attack. I realized I couldn’t work like this anymore. Seeking help and support, I told my boss what had happened, hoping that she’d see how serious I was about the struggle and finally agree to get us another team member, or at least redistribute some of the workload. But instead I was told “everyone is feeling this way.” End of discussion. In that moment I realized that no matter how much of myself I put into this job, no matter at what cost, all that mattered to the company was that the work was getting done and on time. I was nowhere on their list of priorities, so why were they on the very top of mine?

This was my breaking point, the moment where I had had enough, and the moment I realized it is not the responsibility of the brand or my manager to prioritize my health and wellbeing, it was mine. I not only took responsibility, but I took action.

The next few years were filled with little changes here and there that transformed my mindset and eventually created a new, healthy and balanced lifestyle. I joined a yoga studio, began listening to inspiring and actionable podcasts, setting boundaries around work. For the first time in over a decade, I started putting my health first.

In 2021 my husband and I loaded our dogs in the car, sold the house and drove back out to LA (fun fact - that was my 3rd time driving across the country!). This move introduced me to a beautiful community in Malibu that led me to my breakthrough- becoming a meditation guide.

In January 2023 I spontaneously signed up for the Mindry’s Meditation Teacher Training with a desire to deepen my personal practice. I expected to learn different forms of meditation and make a few friends, and I got all of that and then some. I ended up finding my purpose, and myself.

This practice led me down a beautiful journey of self discovery and realizing my unlimited potential. Now I always felt capable of achieving my goals and dreams, but holy shit! I realized how low my upper limit was, and in this discovery I raised it so much higher! I have dreams and goals now that I never would’ve even thought to envision. I look back at that younger version of myself, who saw what she thought were big, huge goals, and see how small I was dreaming. This revelation, though, is so exciting for me, because I know that as I work on these bigger, bolder dreams and goals I envision today, tomorrow there will be one even bigger and more audacious. I trust that my potential is infinite, and I am so curious and excited to see how my journey continues to unfold, to see what I create.

Now, you may be thinking, Chels, that’s a cute story, and great for you, but my situation is completely different. How are you going to help me? And my response is this: that is completely OK- Everyone’s story is going to be different, everyone’s pain points, priorities, dreams, they’re all going to be different. What is all the same is our ability to change, to create, and our infinite potential. Another thing that’s all the same is time; time will continue to go by whether you are happy or sad, healthy or ill, rich or poor, whether you are paying attention or not. I’m going to guide you through your own self-discovery through tools like mindfulness, journaling and small action steps that continually build over time until you’ve created an abundance mindset that unlocks your highest potential. So I ask you this - how do you want to spend your time? Do you want to continue as you were? or do you want to grow and make change? You may not see results in the next second, or minute, or hour. But I promise you, you will start seeing results after a month, a week, a day. The choice is yours. Do you want to create a life you love? A life that is authentically yours, made and designed by you? I believe you can, do you?