September Sanity Check

Hello beautiful angels, 

It’s SEPTEMBER! 

Between the US Open and Fashion Week in New York, the transition to fall has felt markedly glamorous, and thank God, because otherwise, the comedown from Leo Season might have been too much for me to bear.

I’m welcoming the shift into fall, even though it means saying goodbye to the best summer of my life. It was a season of freedom, travel, transition, and celebration—especially as I crossed the threshold into 30. I let myself play, rest, and breathe—which was such a blessing and one I don’t take for granted. 

Now, I’m rolling up my sleeves and getting back to business. Here’s what’s on my mind as we head into the fall.

Generating Momentum with Brightsiding + Embracing Vulnerability 

This past Monday, I conducted my first-ever grassroots marketing campaign, posting 600 flyers around various neighborhoods in Manhattan to spread the word about Brightsiding. I ran with the concept from last week’s newsletter (there’s an Andy Sachs in all of us), and I created three versions of a flyer with a QR code that sent folks to a custom landing page.

My friend Brandon and I have been brainstorming about this activation for weeks - he was promoting his app Pike, and I was generating awareness for the newsletter. It was a long day, but so worth it, and by Wednesday we celebrated with some well-earned drinks at an event he hosted at The Moxy in Williamsburg (pic above!).

I’ve never done any marketing for Brightsiding, and this got me SO fired up to keep experimenting with different ways to grow my audience. I learned a lot (people DO scan QR codes! People also like to tear down flyers for no good reason! lol), and I’m energized to keep trying new tactics. All in all, the day felt like an act of devotion to Brightsiding, and it’s been fun to watch the analytics on my site spike this week. To anyone who found me through an Andy Sachs flyer, WELCOME! I’m so glad you’re here. 

I’ve also been doubling down on the pitch for my workshops and shooting my shot with companies I’d love to partner with. Brightsiding workshops are all about helping teams center on joyful collaboration (learn more about them here), and it’s something I’m extremely passionate about. If you’re interested in bringing a workshop to an upcoming team meeting, offsite, or ERG event, please reach out! I’ll be sharing more about them in next week’s newsletter, but fall is the perfect time to fine-tune the vibes before Q4. 

Putting myself out there is certainly vulnerable, but as my favorite TikTok older sister reminded her audience recently, the sooner you accept + embrace embarrassment (or feeling cringe), the better. I think the goal is not to eliminate the tough feelings that come with putting myself out there, but to work alongside them and stay anchored in my ultimate goal with Brightsiding; which is to help people feel better.

Building My Dreams a Home with Discipline + Routine  

If summer was all about self-trust and expression, Fall is going to be all about building even more confidence by bringing back some good habits. I know I’m at my best when I’m staying true to the habits that make me feel good, like writing and exercising, which I’m excited to reintroduce in a more structured way again.

I just signed up for a Gotham Writers Workshop, which kicks off in October, and I can’t wait to sharpen my pencils and hone my writing craft in a new way. I’ve never done anything like this, and although last year I was writing nearly every day, I have no formal training or education in writing. I can’t wait to share more about that experience. 

On last week’s podcast, I talked with Jake Toohey about the concept of building your dreams a home; all of these sentiments are rooted in that as the ultimate goal. I want to do my best to create a structure in my life where Brightsiding can thrive, even if that means opening my mind to new ways of working.

Energetic Reset

In the name of dream house curation, a huge theme this summer has also been purging my space. These past few months have been a considerable practice in detachment - cleaning out my closets, kitchen, and living room - donating what no longer serves me, throwing away junk, and getting back to basics. What an incredibly powerful practice this has been - I can’t even tell you how much of an impact this has made on my mental health. I’m a maximalist through and through (seriously, I make a quarterly pilgriammage to Staten Island to hang with my soulmate Sam and hit the TJ Maxx / HomeGood circuit) - but getting rid of the things that no longer serve me has created so much space and energy. If you need a reset yourself, I highly recommend doing some fall purging - bonus points if you read Outrageous Openness while you do it.

My friend Kim also encouraged me to download the app You Need a Budget as I look to renegotiate my relationship with money now that I’m no longer making a cushy tech salary. I’ll let you know how it goes!

All in all, I’m looking forward to feeling a bit more grounded this season and seeing what happens when I invite more intention and focus into my life. 

As we wrap up the first week of this glorious month, I’d love to know what you’re welcoming in this fall, and what you’re the most looking forward to. Reply to this email and let me know!

BIG XO,
Erica

I’ve been casually trying to glow-up my glassware collection – how beautiful are these wine glasses from H&M home? I love them so much, and I wouldn’t feel guilty if they broke.