The Check-In

I published the first edition of this newsletter on June 3rd. And this issue will be the 21st…which just amazes me! I laugh when I think back about when the Past Editions page only had 1 article, the first one. I remember wondering, would it really have more?

Starting Holos was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time. When I left my job running the museum in December 2019, I knew I wanted to do something very different. But I didn’t know what. And I would not have guessed it would be a weekly newsletter. But here I am.

When I started Holos, a weekly newsletter for women adventuring through midlife, I told my husband I was committing to it for at least a year. I am now a third of the way through the year and have been reflecting on the past 4 months. I want to share some of my reflections with you as you have been an integral part of this journey. And hey, reinventing yourself at 51 is not without its ups and downs.

When I decided to embark on Holos, I had 3 questions I wanted to answer in the first year. Answering these questions was important as Holos was not intended to be a hobby, but rather the next step in my career. An endeavor which would blend my interests, my values, and my skills. Curious? See below to find out how things are going and how you can help by filling out this 2 minute survey.

Question 1: Would I enjoy writing every week?

The good news is yes! I do like it. In fact, I love it. I love writing about topics I find interesting. I love the research involved when writing about something new. I love finding the correct word to express a thought or an idea. And most of all, I love sharing what I learn and what I am thinking about with all of you.

Writing for Holos has opened my eyes to a whole new world, writing and publishing online. I am a beginner again. I am eager, curious, and energized to learn. For example, I just finished a 5-week writing course, Write of Passage, taught by my favorite writing guru, David Perell. This course not only has helped me develop confidence in my skills as a writer, but it has immersed me into a community of fellow writers.

This is not to say it has all been smooth sailing as I embark on this new adventure. I’ve struggled with forming a new routine. Summer was hard with the kids around all the time and not always having a dedicated workspace. I’m still figuring out the balance between time for writing and time for reading books, newsletters, and blogs and listening to podcasts related to Holos.

I also can get a bit lonely. I had not focused on the solitary nature of writing when I started Holos. So, I appreciate all of you who reach out with thoughts, feedback, and reactions to pieces I write. Please keep it up! I hope the loneliness fades as I make more connections in the health & wellness and longevity spaces and as my subscriber base grows.

There are also things I miss from previous jobs. Over the course of my career my roles have been externally facing. I miss the regular interaction with diverse groups of people. I miss mentoring younger people. I miss leading an organization, a leadership team, or a board. I miss the organizational complexity of running a business. And I miss grappling with big, thorny strategic issues. Holos only has 1, how to grow its subscriber base!

But I am finding ways to replace some of the aspects I miss. I mentor new CEOs on a pro bono basis and love the mix of strategy/leadership/operations this involves. I also volunteer with American Corporate Partners to mentor veterans transitioning from the military to corporate America. As far as organizational complexity and strategy…I am keeping my fingers crossed Holos gets bigger and more complex!

Question 2: Would the content resonate?

Grounded in my passion for health & wellness, longevity and living with intention, the purpose of Holos was to share information and actionable tips for a healthy, happy, and fulfilled life. Over the last few years, I have had many conversations with my peers which always seemed to come back to these topics. We believe our best lives are ahead of us and we would love some help in making that come true.

I have had great feedback from many of you and really enjoy hearing from you. Honestly, it is what keeps me writing. Thank you! Those of you who know me, say the “voice” of Holos sounds exactly like me. You have also said you have enjoyed the topics so far. I appreciate when you reach out to share stories related to a particular topic. So, I have concluded the content does resonate.

To ensure the content continues to be relevant and useful I have put together a short survey. I would be grateful if you would take 2 minutes (that is how long Survey Monkey says it will take to complete) to share your thoughts.

I’m curious to know what you think about the length of each piece, the topics I cover, what would make Holos better, and what you would like to see more of or less of in each piece. In full transparency, I cannot promise to implement every suggestion, but I do promise to read and think about every answer.

Because, while I find these topics interesting, my end goal is to engage you. I want to help you learn about the topics in which you are interested and are most relevant to successfully navigating midlife. Please email me if there is something you want me to write about.

Question 3: Can I build a critical mass of subscribers?

Candidly I still do not know. I am adding new subscribers every week. And I have added almost 150 new subscribers over the last 4 months and now have almost 500 in total. I could not have done this without your help! I want to give a huge shout out to everyone who has spread the word by forwarding to friends and colleagues.

Having somewhat answered the first 2 questions, I intend to devote more time and energy over the coming months to answering this 3rd question. It is time to embrace social media! In doing so I will once again be a beginner.

As embarrassing as it may be to admit, while I have a Facebook account, I have only used it as part of online courses. And I don’t know how to post to Instagram.

I find social media daunting. And the 3 people I could turn to for help, my 3 teenagers, just laugh at me. As a result and if I am honest, I have been dragging my feet as I don’t really know how to get started.

But enough procrastinating. If I want to get to 10,000 subscribers in the next 9 months, it is time for action. So, I plan to experiment with Facebook and Instagram over the coming weeks (if you have any suggestions or tips, PLEASE send my way). Stay tuned.

Conclusion

All in all, I am quite happy with the progress I have made over the last 4 months. I am happy doing something I am passionate about. And I feel lucky to have an opportunity to do something I am passionate about. And I love being a beginner again and learning new things.

And before I sign off, I would be remiss if I didn’t ask again for you to complete my short survey. I would love to hear what you think, really!

Thank you for supporting me this far.

Parting Thought

One aspect of my new career which I am enjoying is the ability to do it from anywhere. Today I am in Iceland. A wild windstorm is raging outside while I sit by the fire and write. I am here with my friend Georgia, who was introduced to me years ago by another dear friend, Natalie. The importance of friends has been on my mind and having these 10 days together has underscored the importance of good friends.

See you next week…