If you’ve ever watched the show Shark Tank, you know that all of the investors flip out when the entrepreneurs pitching to them don’t know their numbers. It took me a few years into entrepreneurship to understand the gravity of those moments because, as my favorite entrepreneurship professor would always say, cash is king. While I am by no means perfect at this, I do make it a habit to be consistently in the numbers of all my businesses and my own personal budget, so that I have an understanding of where my money is coming from and going. Because this is an area that absolutely terrifies most entrepreneurs, I’m going to give you my top tips to make this whole process a little bit simpler!

I was coaching a friend today through some different business concerns, and I asked her why she doesn’t share more about some of her most popular products. Her response was, “Well, I feel like that information is out there; I feel like everyone already knows it.” However, when we dug a little bit deeper into this thought, we discovered a lie that runs rampant in most of our businesses.

If you haven’t noticed, I’ve gone very quiet on this blog for the last 3 years. Some of that was the transition into motherhood, starting another business, and just being burned out on social media and cancel culture, if I’m being honest. I had run hard towards building my blog and my brand for the better part of 7 years, and I couldn’t handle the pace I had set for myself.

Because I’ve been self-employed since I was 22, I often have conversations where friends and acquaintances express that they, too, desire the freedom of being an entrepreneur. On one hand, I will always, always root for people to take charge of their careers and be entrepreneurial. I don’t regret it for a minute, and I can’t imagine working any other way.

About 6 years ago now, my first Pure Barre studio was in the works. I had signed my franchise agreement, scheduled my move to COS, and was spending my days trying to graduate college and begin my future. If you’ve never read the story, feel free to scroll far back in the Business section of this blog and get the full scoop from 2014. If you told me back then that I would one day be closed because of a global pandemic, well, I wouldn’t have known how to handle that.

There are very few days that change your life. I’ve only lived 27+ years, and I’ve seen that reality play out time and time again. But regardless of what we know, sometimes we act like a singular very good or very bad day has the power to shift the scales. From my experience, it’s just not true.

The other day, I was listening to a podcast interview with Jenna Kutcher and Ed Mylett, and she was talking about how she is unemotional in business. As a woman, that sounds like a strange quality to admit, but I have to agree that I relate to her. It’s not that things don’t hurt my feelings at work - bad reviews, disgruntled staff, and a lack of work ethic definitely grind my gears more than I’d like to admit, but I have a pretty level head when it comes to shaking off the unimportant moments to move forward. But, their conversation got me thinking about what my best and worst quality as a boss might be.

I’m in a weird season of entrepreneurship. Pregnancy will do that to you, I guess. In many ways, 2020 has been a year of record highs and big dreams realized. I opened my second studio, hit big goals in my first studio, made great hires that have allowed me to delegate and breathe, and grown the Pure Barre brand in Colorado Springs. It’s been a hard year, too. We’ve had a lot of new hires to make and a lot of transience, and I’ve battled the uncertainty and questions that always come alongside a new venture.

I come from a family of entrepreneurs, and I was warned at a young age not to do business with my friends. All the logic behind it makes sense. Friends and money don’t mix. Friends and the stress of work don’t mix. Who wants to boss around (or be bossed around by) their friends, after all? It opens up the door to heartache, difficult conversations, and the risk of splintered relationships that will never recover. But I also firmly believe that it can be done.

There are so many pieces of my Pure Barre story that no one knows, even though I feel like I’ve shared so many of them in this online space. Yes, my story is unusual, just as any good story is, but there have been so many moments that are undeniably God and irrevocably good, even when they seemed confusing as all get out while they were happening. Every year on March 7, I’m reminded of one of those moments. Well, three, to be exact. March 7 is the day that reminds me how seeds get planted and what they can turn into.

On the outside, it looks like I am a fast decision maker. If you’re in my inner circle, it is not unusual for me to call you up with a big piece of news, but don’t worry - I have a long explanation of why I chose my next step, how it’s going to play out, and everything I have been thinking up to that point. It’s not that I choose quickly; it takes a lot for me to make a big decision, but when I know, I know.

That’s why I don’t quit things…at least, up until now.

My weight used to dictate my mood, my actions, and my level of self-love…or lack thereof. Day in and day out, I was driven by the number on the scale for almost a decade. When I decided to let go of the number and focus my efforts on health, rather than control, this is what happened.

Have you ever wanted to change your food and exercise habits, but you don’t know where to begin? Maybe you’re stressed out about learning something new or overwhelmed by the idea of cooking. It could be that someone in your family doesn’t want to change, and you don’t know how to navigate their resistance. The good news is, there is a process for everyone when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle.

If you’re a Pure Barre lover or fitness enthusiast, it’s important to fuel your body with the right foods and nutrients pre and post workout! My routine is pretty versatile because I enjoy switching it up, but here are a few key points to know!

I have learned that, just as I can't offer advice to those who don't want it, it's also not beneficial to ask for accountability when you're not ready to act. Your accountability parter isn't your drill sergeant; they're your coach. Your champion. Your support. Too often, we assume that asking for help or accountability means that someone else is going to fix our problems, but we still have to do the work. 

Of all the stories I’ve held close to my heart in the time it took to get Truett, this one is my favorite. It happened about a year ago now, and as I stare at my sleeping baby, I can’t help but be overwhelmed with gratitude for her life and for the ways God grew me in the season of waiting, trying, and losing other babies before she came along. I also want to be delicate as I tell this story because I know many women find themselves in a similar place, and obviously, I can’t guarantee that the outcome will be the same. We do nothing to deserve or earn our children, and I don’t pretend to know why God sometimes says yes and other times says no. But, her life is one of the clearest reminders to me that God listens, He speaks, and He makes good on His promises.

Woof. Just the title of this post makes me cringe because it’s a story I don’t want, didn’t want, and tried with all my power to avoid. In the exhaustion of feeling completely over social media and tired of trying to compile the things I’m walking through into a succinct caption, I decided to lean in. I started this blog at 19 years old for me, and at 30 years old, I’m taking some of that back. My deepest desire in sharing my writing, especially through challenging seasons, is that it helps someone else. Ultimately, I write because it’s my way of processing my feelings, connecting to God, and making sense of the things I’m learning.

Having a sick baby last week was nothing short of traumatizing for a new mama - it is just SO sad and hard to see your little one under the weather! When Sul first started running a fever, I didn’t sleep for a solid 24 hour stretch because he only wanted to be held, and he would cry out “mama mama” anytime I put him down. Cue the waterworks. The house was revolting, and I was covered in sweat, tears, and baby spit up; very reminiscent of our newborn days. But after 7 days of torture, Sul is all better, and I want to share with you some of the things we did to help support his body through his first sickness!

Breastfeeding is an unbelievably sensitive topic. If you’re not a mom yet, that may sound over-exaggerated, but it’s just such an intimate, emotional, and tricky process for most women and their new babies. I want to acknowledge that and also preface this post by saying that I am not writing this to invoke feelings of shame for anyone reflecting on their breastfeeding journey. If you desired to formula feed or exclusively pump, you are no less of a mom than any breastfeeding mom for making that choice. If you had to switch to formula or exclusive pumping somewhere along the way, that decision is also in no way reflective of your status as an amazing mom. There is too much mom shaming out there, and that is not my heart behind this post. I know how emotional it is to want to feed your baby the way you want to feed your baby and how difficult it is to make changes within that process.

When I was a preteen, I vividly remember my mom saying that she prayed my sister and I wouldn’t be in the popular crowd. When I interpreted those words at my young age, the statement sounded a little bit harsh. “Thanks, Mom,” I thought, “It would be so much easier to fit in with everyone.” I rolled my eyes, thinking it wouldn’t be a big deal if I was or I wasn’t, I’d still be me. As a nerdy and outspoken middle schooler, I dealt with my fare share of teasing, but I also had wonderful friends. However, when given the choice between popularity and lack thereof, the grass seemed a bit greener on the other side.

Dear baby,

You woke up today chatting with yourself again. I think it’s my favorite sound in the world, you just peacefully greeting the day and waiting for me to snatch you up with kisses. What I would give for that kind of peace right now.

Throughout my pregnancy, almost everyone “warned” me about postpartum, or the fourth trimester, if you will. Most of these warnings were well meaning, and some of them (mostly random followers on Instagram who could have just not spoken up) were fear mongering and drenched in a trauma perspective. I get it - there are some horrific birth and postpartum experiences out there, and many women have valid reasons to carry baggage from their season as a new mom. While I firmly believe that it is important to be prepared for a change in plans or the potential of a rough start to motherhood, I also believe that we need to be careful about the way we speak to new moms about something they haven’t experienced yet, and something that may or may not be full of negative experiences.

I’ve always loved reading birth stories because each woman has such a different and beautiful experience. It’s been just over a week since our son, Sullivan Wilder Hill, was born, and it’s important to me to capture his story while it’s fresh in my mind. I’ll start by saying that so many things took me by surprise during my labor and birth, and I hope that sharing an honest look at a natural birth is helpful to those who want to experience a similar miracle.

I mean, let’s all just sit back and think about how ironic it is that I chose savor (read last year’s post here) as my word for 2020. In a year that so many people wanted to run away from and forget (me included, at times), I truly feel like God gave me the opportunity to sit back, hand Him my stresses, and enjoy my new and perfect baby. In hindsight, I will continue to savor those moments of Sullivan’s first year for the rest of my life.

savor (v): to enjoy food or an experience slowly, in order to appreciate it as much as possible

For the last few years, I have chosen a word (or words) to shape my focus for the 365 ahead. You can read about last year’s word, freedom, and find links to 2017 and 2018 on this post. Sometimes, the word I choose doesn’t make immediate sense to me, and the context plays out throughout the year. Other times, I feel like I have a moment of revelation, which happened to me in 2018, with my word abundance. It’s not any sort of hyper-spiritual practice or something I feel tied to doing forever, but I really enjoy goal setting, and I think of choosing a word as a mindset goal.

Over the past 9 years, I’ve shared some extremely raw and honest things on this site and on my daily IG stories/posts, and I’ve meant every one of them, but hear me when I say that no one knows me from the small snippets I’m choosing to make public. Social media cannot replace human connection and the intentionality behind asking real questions. If you feel “caught up” with a friend or family member because of their Instagram, I can guarantee that you’re missing out.

In this season, more than any other, I am constantly aware of how different my life looks from the lives of each of my friends. Truly, we are all in different places. Some are single and still navigating the dating scene, while others have been married throughout their entire adult lives. Some friends are patiently waiting for a baby, while others are celebrating birthdays and milestones for multiple children. I have friends with military spouses who are getting moved all over the world, and I have friends who have never moved away from their hometown. Each story is challenging, purposeful, and needed, but as women, we have a tendency to isolate ourselves because of our circumstances.

I chose my word for 2019 back in October when I was listening to the That Sounds Fun Podcast by Annie F. Downs, one of my favorite authors and speakers. She was interviewing Alex Seeley, a pastor in Nashville, who said, “Just because you’re saved doesn’t mean you’re free.” The line stuck with me for days, and I knew that freedom was my word for the coming year.

I’m currently sitting alone in my studio; the clicking of the keyboard and the flurries of snow outside are the only sounds I feel like I need to write this down. Tomorrow begins a new year, and for the third time, I’m picking a word to be my “theme” for the 365 days ahead. In 2017, my hardest year of the 26 I’ve lived, my words were trust and thrive, and I wrote a whole post about how that shook out here. I ended last year in lot of pain and confusion, with very little confidence that 2018 would turn a corner. And yet, the word I chose for 2018 was abundance.

Teaching Pure Barre has taught me that there are 2 kinds of people in the world. There are people who drop out, and there are people who stay in it. Now, before you think I’m about to get up on my high horse about exercise, I will tell you the absolute truth - of course I have dropped out of exercises in Pure Barre before. My teachers know the ones I hate the most, and there are positions that are sure to have my leg hitting the ground if I’m not on my game. But, I’m not talking about having perfect form and endurance - I’m talking about becoming someone who fights for it.

Too often, I’ve bought into the lie that I need to be strong enough to carry a painful situation or the weight of someone else’s words and actions. Subsequently, I pray for my ability to suck it up and shoulder it, rather than pray for help.

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a killer eye for design, but I know when something needs an upgrade, and our bedroom definitely did. When we moved into this house, I was pregnant with Sullivan, and most of our decorating projects revolved around his nursery. We purchased a King bed right before he was born, but we were budgeting for a nontoxic mattress, not the bed frame or any of the accessories. We got a cheap bed frame from Amazon and called it a day.

A couple of weeks ago, Ross and I escaped Colorado Springs for an incredible 2-day getaway at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch in Beaver Creek, CO! We knew that our fall schedules were going to be jam packed before the baby arrives in January, so we made the choice to do a mini babymoon somewhere local and upscale, and the experience did not disappoint. Whenever I see someone’s travel experience via Instagram, I’m always eager for more details, so I wanted to walk you all through the favorite moments of our trip and a few things that make the RCBG so special!

The Dove Inn is a boutique hotel and a Bed & Breakfast of sorts, but it has a much more laid back vibe. Though other people were staying at the Inn at the same time as us, we only saw a couple of people leaving for dinner, and it felt like we were alone in the giant house. You enter the Dove with a code on the door, and another code gives you access to your room (we stayed in the Serenity Suite). The rooms are spacious and beautiful, and if you watched my Instagram stories, Ross was obsessed with the bathroom and tub.

If you spend any amount of time on social media, you’ve probably seen a lot of celebrities and bloggers using the Ava Bracelet, but you may have wondered…does it really work? Or, if you’re not trying to get pregnant, does it have a purpose for you?

You guys know I’m always on the prowl for the latest trends in health and fitness, and that’s why I was psyched to hear that I can now track my activity through my glasses! I know, I know, it sounds too good to be true, but VSP Global has created a new line of eyewear that syncs with your smartphone and tracks your steps all throughout the day! Forget about your bulky watches and wristbands: You can actually monitor your steps without any additional accessories, thanks to Level smart glasses.

If you’ve ever wanted to visit Aspen, Colorado, read all about my perfect mini-vacation at Hotel Aspen, a darling hotel in the center of town! We brunched, we hiked, and we cuddled with our pups in this dog-friendly resort! Plus, I’m sharing all of my favorite tips and food spots!