What if you put yourself first for once?

Like many women, insecurity, anxiety, and external validation ruled most of my life. After growing up biracial in a low-income household, I struggled to fit in in what felt like every environment I came across. As the oldest of 8 kids, I was always focused on taking care of my siblings, and when I was diagnosed with MS at age 15, I felt like I lost control over the one thing I had, my body.

Fast forward to 2020, I was a senior at Northwestern with a job lined up at Google, early acceptance to Wharton’s MBA program, and the president of many clubs and activities. From the outside, I had it all together, but internally, I was deeply insecure and relied on external validation to feel any sense of happiness. Left alone at the height of the pandemic and racial unrest, I finally realized that I had to put myself first, and developed my own rituals to feed my soul.

When I started to ask myself what I wanted, block out time to spend with myself, and set boundaries with the people around me, my life changed for the better. I built an online community of thousands of ambitious #MaterialGirls, launched the #1 Self Care Podcast for women, Too Smart For This, where I get to interview women I look up to who I now call peers and friends. I even got my dream job!

Thanks to my rituals and boundaries, I became the person I wanted to be by putting myself first. For me, the height of self-care is sitting in a robe and doing whatever helps you recharge - for me it looks like Bravo TV, red wine, and a Pinterest scroll. I’m still a work in progress, and constantly reiterating on my rituals and routines, which I share on my podcast often.

What I want for you is to realize the power in spending time with yourself and giving yourself the luxuries you deserve, too.

Love,