happy five years, saddie baddies®
a love letter from the founder of the blossoming digital + IRL community reshaping and redefining what mental + emotional health looks like for us, by us. 🤎
happy five years, saddie baddies®
five years ago today, you took a leap of faith and started this journey sight unseen. you didn’t know where this would end up, or how it could transform you, but you continued to listen to that voice + spiritual download that you received in the summer of 2018 that said you were going to be using your voice and your story to change the world.
although you had absolutely no resources at the time (not even your own laptop girl!), you figured it out, little by little. you started with just an instagram post, then you grew beyond the digital limitations into a voice and an IRL experience that your community still seeks out today.
your work has reached millions of people, and you’ve partnered and built relationships with dream brands and organizations such as Nike, Pinterest, Rare Beauty and more. you’ve spoken at multiple conferences and panels from Berkeley to Howard University to Rutgers and beyond. your work on mental health has been translated to Portuguese and French and Spanish by your global community members. you have inspired young girls to love themselves, and you’ve become a role model for self love, care, acceptance, and compassion. you’ve self-published your first product, a digital guide, which has become an accessible healing tool worldwide. you’ve started a 5-star rated podcast, in the comfort of your home in Harlem, NY, which has hundreds of thousands of downloads to date and has been listened to from South Africa to India to France and beyond. you have been spotlighted in some of the biggest names in media and press such as ESSENCE, The Business Insider, NPR, and more. you’ve mentored young people and volunteered your time, resources, and energy towards those in need, and you’ve become a pillar in the community for so many individuals.
if i were to go on and on about your accomplishments, we’d literally be here all day. but what you should remember today is your why. why did you start this in the first place? it’s because you were trying to solve an internal problem externally through community. you knew exactly what it felt like to be alone, to deal with depression and anxiety and imposter syndrome, growing up first-generation, and you knew somehow, that the conversation surrounding those topics had to start, so the stigma wouldn’t be as prevalent. and you did it through your commitment to rewriting the narrative around Black mental and emotional health, and in the process you’ve discovered yourself and unlocked your true purpose in life which is a gift in itself.
remember:
when you’re tired, rest- don’t quit. your work is way too important.
when you’re stuck, take a step back and reflect on your options. don’t make moves out of desperation.
if something isn’t going your way, pivot. don’t be so stubborn about the path/route/directions - just stay focused on the end goal.
enjoy the creative process. stop rushing out of peer pressure (or imaginary), and be present when you do create- it’s a gift from God.
ask for help. outsource and hire whenever there’s a task that you know someone can do better or when you’re just overwhelmed. you don’t have to do everything alone and better yet, people want to help you.
don’t compare yourself to anyone. don’t stay stuck in the comparison trap. acknowledge and remember your own strengths and honor your own path.
stay soft. you started this for a reason. and when you start to beat yourself up, think of the younger you who’s always looking at you with kind eyes. quiet that inner critic sometimes (often, really) and may your self trust be stronger than your self doubt.
to many more years of creating, connecting and community. thank you for choosing me as the vessel and spirit to house this idea and be the recipient of this wise work. the healing work is deeply generational and may your story live on way longer than you can ever imagine.
love,
🤎
