Finding your reset

Mini trips, baby snuggles, and the courage to leave corporate life behind.

November 06, 2025

Hi friends!

My childhood bestie (who now lives in Florida) had a baby a few months back, and I knew it was time to make a trip to meet her little guy! This friend has been my absolute #1 since I was born—our moms were pregnant together in 1992 and she was born 10 days after my sister and me. When I planned this trip to come visit her, I went back and forth on which kid to bring.

Baby Coco:
Pros = predictable naptime and quiet pockets for adult conversation.
Challenges = more “stuff” to travel with & now that she’s walking, more hands-on attention needed.

Milo:
Pros = easier to fly with, less “stuff” to travel with, and easier on-the-go.
Challenges = no naptime, needs more to entertain him & since he’s so chatty, less quiet time for adult conversation.

In the end, I chose to bring Milo this time around, and I’m so glad I did! He’s been the best little travel buddy and I’m so impressed with how he was able to easily entertain himself, exploring her house and making up games while my friend and I were catching up.

And then, in the middle of all that toddler independence, I’d glance at her newborn and suddenly I was deep in my feels (and my camera roll!!), remembering when my first baby was that tiny. Now he’s walking, talking, asking amazingly smart questions, playing independently, and it all had me thinking…

Everyone swears it’s best to have babies at the same time as your best friends. But how magical is it to have kids at different times?

When I was in the thick of the newborn days, she learned from watching me. Now it’s her turn, and I get to be here as the calm, confident, been-there-before supportive friend, plus I’m able to soak in the sweetness of it all: tiny stretches, milk-drunk naps, and buttery-soft cheeks.

Because our kids are on totally different timelines, there’s no comparison. No pressure. No “Is your baby doing this or that yet?” It feels easy, supportive and really, really special! We’ve had slow mornings, early sunrises, and delicious iced coffees. This little trip has been the reset I didn’t know I needed.

I’ll be home soon and diving back into some exciting work projects, but for now, we’re soaking up the last bits of Florida sunshine and baby snuggles.

Keep scrolling! I've got some good stuff for you this week.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

On the topic of babies, work, and the dance of trying to balance the two (pun intended), I want to talk about a recent conversation I had with Emily Scott James. If you don't follow Emily yet, you NEED to! She’s built a community of nearly 750k followers in less than a year by sharing the most joyful dance videos, honest motherhood moments, and her signature hair salon skits with her twin daughters in the bath.

But here's what makes Emily's story so compelling: less than a year ago, she was working a corporate job in medical device marketing. She had been at it for 11 years, and while she was good at it, she felt something was missing. After having her twin girls following an incredibly difficult pregnancy, she decided to start dancing again. Not for awards or recognition like she did in her competitive dance days. Just for herself. For joy.

And that joy? It translated. She started posting consistently and her content took off in a way that gave her the courage to leave her corporate job entirely.

While I enjoyed every moment of our chat, here are a few favorites:

On quitting dance (and finding it again): Emily opened up about leaving dance not once, but twice in her life. Once in high school when she turned down scholarships to top performing arts programs, and again after a year and a half in LA when she realized she didn't love the competitive side of it anymore. She said she consistently struggled with the decision of whether to take dance to a career level or keep it for herself. The toxicity of the competitive dance world was taking away her joy. So she walked away, went to business school, and didn't dance again until her kids came around. As she put it: "My kids gave me the freedom to be a kid again and to go back to that time where I was in my first dance studio growing up. Like you're doing this for fun. You're doing it for you."

On the pressure of building a following so fast: Emily went from 50,000 followers in February to nearly 700,000 by August. She shared how every video she posted early on was kind of going viral, which sounds like a dream but actually created some complex pressure. She told me: "I think for a little bit there, every video I was posting was kind of going viral. And so starting off on that foot was amazing, but then you get stuck because you're like, oh my god, I've got to be really performative in the next one to get the views. And that was not consistent. And I, once again, was not finding joy in the content."

On what’s next: She's manifesting writing a children's book, building out a team with a manager, and just trying to stay connected to her community as her platform grows. But mostly, she's focused on fostering the joy that brought people to her page in the first place.

This conversation felt like a reminder that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let go of what you're "supposed" to be doing and allow yourself to find your way back to what makes you feel alive.

Hear Emily’s full story on The Real Stuff podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or watch it on YouTube.

BE MY NEXT GUEST

A couple of times a month, instead of a celebrity guest, I’m handing the mic to YOU. I’m inviting members of my audience (anonymously if you’d prefer) to join the show and talk about ALL the real stuff: sex, money, mental health, and everything in between. If you’re ready for a deeply personal conversation on a public platform or have a wild life story to share, apply here.

WHAT YOU SAID

Last week, I asked which Halloween candy matches your personality, and I have to say, I love how many of you are Twix people. Although sadly, as someone with Celiac disease, I can’t relate.

44% of you identified as Twix – consistent, reliable, and classic, which honestly tracks for this community. 19% of you proudly claimed Almond Joy. Misunderstood but iconic? I see you, and I respect the confidence that takes!

Sour Patch Kids came in at 21%, and Reese's at 16%. Fewer smooth talkers than I expected, but maybe that's just because you're all too busy melting hearts to answer polls.

ASK ME ANYTHING

Q: “Advice for someone wanting to start a small business and quit the corporate life?”

A: My advice in these situations is always to start in as small a way as possible, where you’re doing it on the side of your full-time job, maintaining your financial independence and stability, and not putting yourself in a precarious situation.

Approaching it this way gives you a longer runway to pursue your small business and prevents it from turning into something stressful that makes you hate it. You’ll actually love it more if you’re doing it out of passion on the side while something else pays the bills. Then, once you get to a good spot with it, you can take the plunge.

Have a question for me? Reply and ask away!

LATEST FINDS

Use code LUCIE20 for 20% off

White Sapphire Tennis Bracelet

Notice Sneakers

Billy Shoulder Bag

Use code ZS-LUCIEHOLIDAY15 for 15% off through November 15th!

On The Road Relaxed Chore Jacket

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Reflecting on my conversation with Emily about quitting dance (not once, but twice) and leaving the corporate world behind has me thinking about the courage it takes to make a big life change. So I'm curious:

If you could hit reset on one area of your life right now, what would it be?

If you want to share more about your answer, reply to this email. I’d love to hear from you, and your message might just be featured next week (anonymously, of course).

UNTIL NEXT TIME

I've enjoyed every day we've spent in Florida, but I'm also itching to get back to routine and work with renewed energy. I hope wherever you are this week, you find your own reset, too. Even if it's just five quiet minutes with your coffee before everyone else wakes up…we all deserve it.

And if you're liking these newsletters and want to show a little extra love, here’s a few easy ways:

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Finding your reset

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