Once upon a time…Like many do, I’ve taken some time to reflect on 2025 as the year comes to a close. My coach asked me, “If 2025 were a movie or a story, what genre would it be?” I immediately replied, “A fairy tale.” Which may seem a bit off given the chaos and horrendous headlines that dominate the news cycles every damn day. Let me explain. I started this year announcing some lofty ambitions, not knowing if I’d be able to make them a reality. But I did. I did almost everything I wanted to do (and more), including but not limited to; Launched Nelson Family Music Productions Started offering in-person Pilates classes downtown Niles, MI Tried a story telling podcast, and learned quickly that I’m not ready for that Participated in a 6-month coach training program and finished strong (waiting to hear if I passed all the finals for my certification) Left my VP role at Fluent Commerce and got an individual contributor role at another global tech company Added Personal and Executive coaching to my line of services at The Eudaimonia Movement - and have several clients already! Retired from the DDA/Main Street board
In addition to all that action, I also spent a lot of time reflecting, reading, learning and relaxing in my cozy brown recliner. It’s all about dynamic balance. But you, my dear astute readers, are probably sitting here thinking to yourself, “Well, that’s all fine, but I don’t see how that resembles a fairy tale at all Jess!” To which I say, “You are all too right!” Let me tell you more about why it felt like a life out of a story book. For me, the ingredients of a good fairy tale are: Love, Adventure, Courage, Transformation and Magic. LOVE I got to spend the entire year with the love of my life by my side. Chuck and I have become closer and more aligned than we’ve been in our 20+ years together and it feels like a dream sometimes to love and be loved so perfectly. My kids have grown into amazing, talented and ever so kind teenagers. Henry played more gigs than I can remember. When I see that talented young man in front of the crowd, singing and picking his heart out, my heart fills with joy so much so that my eyes burst with tears. Meanwhile, Everett has been heads down learning languages, piano and violin, with hopes of performing more next year. Everett has also written several short stories and game concepts. The creativity with this one is boundless. ADVENTURE I got to travel several times this year. Three or four trips to Virgina to spend time with my sister Sarah and her lovely crew. A family trip to Memphis – where I unexpectedly became a huge Elvis fan. Amsterdam with Everett. We also went to Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Detroit. We saw Weird Al in concert in Kalamazoo and Sir Paul McCartney in concert in Chicago. Lots of wonderful memories with my favorite humans. COURAGE Changing jobs can be a very scary thing. Especially scary to give up a VP role to step back from being a manager to an individual contributor. I had cultivated very strong relationships and built successful systems over my 5 years at Fluent Commerce. But I knew I needed a change, so I put myself out on a limb. Applying for jobs and interviewing are a lot different these days. I’m so grateful I had a dear friend put a referral in for me. I’ve often stayed in roles long past the time I knew I needed to leave because I hate disappointing people. But this year, I left things behind that no longer aligned with my values and goals. TRANSFORMATION Since I was a teenager, I’ve been working on being less reactive and more proactive. Less judgmental and more curious. Less hasty and more patient. But that shit’s hard, yo! Going through the coach training program did something to me. I feel the difference. I listen more deeply. I judge way less often. My default is curiosity and kindness. I feel calm more often. I still get worked up and pop off every now and again but settling into this “new normal” has felt pretty darn wonderful. MAGIC I planted the seeds of all these ideas last year. And this year, almost everything bloomed. That’s magical. As I end this year, I feel it more than ever that we are all connected and together we can choose a different future for ourselves. I’ll be spending the next couple of days dreaming of the future we all deserve. One of peace and love and music and fun and adventures. One where each human is respected for their innate goodness. Where dignity is honored. Where the Earth and nature are our reciprocal partners. Where you feel cherished belonging. Where abundance is acknowledged and resources are matched appropriately. Where money and treasure aren’t hoarded by greedy tyrants. Where your fairy tale story unfolds and we get to compare notes on how cozy our little nests are, what dragons we’ve slain, and how exciting it is to adventure out in the world. Happy end of 2025 friends. Watch this space for January’s newsletter to see what’s cooking for yours truly in 2026. Love you,
Jess
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