Without fail, every time something major happens politically I see questions in the various entrepreneurship/business groups I’m in asking whether, as a business owner, you should address whatever is happening in the headlines or just be quiet because “business isn’t about politics.” I can only speak for myself, but what happened last week (and the last four years + the 396 years before that) wasn’t anything new or shocking, and personally, it’s also not something I view as entirely political. Yes, these atrocities are playing out on a very grand political stage, and that’s because they’re being inflamed by people who hold political office. Black lives aren’t political, they’re human. The events that have transpired in the last year have made it more clear to me than ever that values we hold in our personal lives can’t be absent from our businesses because businesses exist to serve people. I believe all people of every color, religion, nationality, gender and sex, should be treated with equal rights and equal access to those freedoms. The truth of the matter is that this has never been our reality in America. Not for Black people, immigrants, women, the list goes on. All I know to do is the work I can do within myself, serve people equitably through my business, and make an impact in the various communities I’m a part of with the time I’m granted here. I can use my voice, my right to vote for people who align with my values, and my ability to raise my son into a man who can contribute to the rebuilding of a more equitable system than the one that has existed thus far in my generation. It can be really easy to lose the forest for the trees because the healing that needs to happen won’t happen come January 20th. It’s going to take generations, but until enough people can acknowledge, accept, and take action toward changing the bigger picture, our “history” will continue to be our present reality. My bottom line is that there's never a wrong time to stand up for what's right, and when it comes to my business, people will always be put before and over profits. So if you feel it on your heart, make your voice heard. 
The brightest and biggest rainbow I’ve ever seen. A promise of love and symbol of faith. A heartwarming thing to behold on the eve of a new year following one of the toughest we could all collectively experience in a lifetime. ✨ I don’t normally view January 1 as a particularly momentous day, but this is a fresh start I’m very much looking forward to. Wishing you love, light and joy as we cross into 2021. ✨💖🌈 
A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices. ✨ It’s already Christmas Day here in Japan, so wishing you a very Merry Christmas and happy everything. 
Headed into the holiday week with my schedule clear of calls and primed for 2021 planning and strategizing which has me feeling both giddy and little uneasy…like thousands of other business owners, this year totally kicked me in the shins. Nearly seven months of no childcare and moving literally across the entire world in the middle of a global pandemic all while trying to keep clients happy and business running, yet somehow (and I say somehow because I truly can’t comprehend how this happened), the business managed to grow. Granted, not by the numbers I forecasted back in January, but it was growth, which is both shocking and extremely humbling. I’m left rounding out this year with a boatload of gratitude for the lessons learned, resilience strengthened, and the perspectives shifted both in life and business. 2020 may have felt like one long knock-down, drag-out fight, but I like to recall the saying that diamonds are just pieces of charcoal that handled stress exceptionally well. 💎 And as I look ahead, I truly believe 2021 is going to be the year spa owners and esthetic industry experts’ have their time to shine brighter than ever before with all the pressure that 2020 brought, and I’ve got big plans to make sure I can support in that reality, which is what led me to settle on ✨ FOCUS ✨ as my word for 2021. There’s work to do, businesses to build, and brands to elevate to the next level — and it’s time for 2020 to take a damn seat. What’s your 2021 Word of The Year? ✨