Hi there, happy Wednesday!
Last week I shared this note that seemed to resonate with a lot of you:
For the longest time I can remember thinking that all I really wanted was to sit at a coffee shop and work on my laptop. In the past two years, I considered and even tried several “work from coffee shop” ideas: creating Google Sheet templates to sell on Etsy, becoming a bookkeeper, posting on TikTok, and starting a VA business. None of these went anywhere.
But then, just randomly, I decided to start Her Second Brain.
Now, it’s my favorite thing I do for myself and for others. Showing up each week and working on this newsletter has been an incredible experience, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store.
This reminds me that sometimes our dreams don’t always turn out the way we think. They might take us on different paths before leading us to something that truly brings us joy. So to everyone reading this—
Keep dreaming, keep exploring, and don’t be afraid to try NEW things 🤎
You never know where your passion might take you.
Have a beautiful week!
Last week, I listened to an inspiring interview with Dan Martell, entrepreneur and best-selling author of Buy Back Your Time. Dan shared his journey from a wild past—including drugs, jail, and a high-speed chase—to becoming a successful thought leader.
At one point during the interview, he was asked if he calls people out for not following their dreams. Here’s his take:
“Be a lighthouse, not a tugboat.”
Many people act like tugboats. They see someone making a mistake and rush to help. But that’s exhausting. Tugboats have to navigate the harbor, bumping into other ships to steer them in the right direction.
Instead, be a lighthouse. A lighthouse stands still and shines its light, guiding all the ships. It doesn’t take any extra effort for a lighthouse to guide one ship or a thousand ships.
I love this analogy because it emphasizes leading by example rather than trying to control or fix others. It's a reminder that we can inspire people just by being our best selves 💫
If you enjoy shopping at Target (like me!), here’s a useful tip I recently learned about.
I’ve been looking for a play laptop for my daughter, who loves copying me when I work on mine. I found one at Target for $24.99, which was a bit more than the price I saw in the app a few days prior.
Remembering that it doesn’t hurt to ask and that “a closed mouth don’t get fed”, I asked an employee if they could price match to the app.
And they did!
I ended up paying $17.99 (app price) + 20% off (toy discount) and used a $5 gift card–getting it for more than half off!
⭐️ Here’s what you need to know: In-store prices are often higher than those in the app. When shopping in-store, scan the item in the app first. If it’s cheaper there, ask the cashier to match the app price.
It might not be a huge revelation, but it was new to me, and I hope it helps with your Target trips!
Lately, I’ve been “killin’ it in the kitchen” (my husband’s words, not mine), and it’s all thanks to one simple skill:
Picking a highly-rated recipe and following it to a tee.
While some people thrive on improvising in the kitchen, I prefer to have everything precisely measured and timed. Someday I hope to be one of those cooks who relies on intuition and just throws things together. But for now, this method works best for me.
It’s not a guaranteed way to make a perfect meal, but it’s my favorite way to decide whether a recipe is worth adding to my list.
Here are a few highly-rated recipes I’ve made that my family loved. Let me know if you try any!
🍝 Spaghetti Bolognese - so simple and easy to make!
🌮 Korean Beef Tacos - juicy, flavorful, and filling.
🍍 Aloha Grilled Pineapple Chicken - delicious and tropical!
I broke up with Google Docs back in high school and have been a Notion girlie for a few years now. However, I’ve had a hard time keeping it organized.
After watching this video, I decided to give Google Docs another try. There are so many new features I’m just now discovering, and I’m very much into it!
While I haven’t fully made the switch, I’m using it more often and find it much simpler and less overwhelming than Notion. That said, I still appreciate Notion for other reasons.
In terms of note-taking and writing, are you Team Google Docs or Team Notion?
Drop a 💙 for Google Docs and a 🖤 for Notion. I’d love to know why you prefer one over the other!
The perfect feel-good playlist for your cleaning, cooking, and daily routines. If you love R&B, Hip Hop, Afrobeats, and Pop, you’ll enjoy this.
I haven't used notion, but I have been a die-hard Evernote stan for years! They've recently made a big push for free users to subscribe, which is fine, everyone needs to eat, but I don't use it in a way that I can justify the price tag so I'm slowly moving over to Google Docs and I agree with your assessment. It's so much more useful than I realized! And freeeeee!
I've been using notion but I'm going to check out the video you shared! I have a hard time sticking with Notion over just my notes app on my iPhone. Thanks for the Target tip! That could be a game changer.