Last week, I attended a women’s work retreat in St. Louis, led by Molly Grisham and Lauren Davis. A dozen strong women gathered in a loft in Midtown for growth, clarity, and courage regarding their careers and passion projects. There were tears, belly laughs, and a lot of a-ha moments.
It was scary. And I loved it.
I was the only one who was there for songwriting, but in the end, it didn’t matter what our chosen project was: the purpose of the retreat was to gain insight and create personal accountability.
And as a bonus, I made 11 new friends.
Reader, 2025 is the year I’m working for my dreams even while I’m afraid. It’s the year I run toward things instead of running away. This retreat felt symbolic for me, and I can’t recommend it enough if you’re ever looking for perspective and a push in the direction you know you want to go.
I went to see the Gateway Arch while I was in St. Louis. It’s massive, and I enjoyed standing underneath it, just thinking. It’s a hell of a feat of engineering. I bet it was intimidating to design and build. I bet the designer faced adversity and a lot of naysayers. I bet he felt a lot of the same feelings I feel. But look what happened on the other side, and look how many of us get to benefit from his audacity.
It's inspiring.
Let’s keep building our own bodacious arches this week, and I’ll see you next Monday. -Em
