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Letting Go on Purpose
Last week, I wasn’t at meetings or crossing off my to-do list. I was in bed - sick, tired, and reminded of a lesson I keep learning, sometimes accepting the challenge means letting go. It can look like saying no. Asking for help. Receiving help. Prioritizing rest and basic needs instead of pushing through to meet everyone else’s. That is not quitting; it’s clarity. It’s kindness. It’s courage. The Question I Ask Every Year In my annual planning workshop, there’s a reflection

Ariana Friedlander
Dec 18, 20252 min read


It’s Okay to Fail: What 2017 Taught Me About Falling Apart—and Finding My Way Back
Some years start with crisp plans and fresh notebooks…and end with a pile of should’ves. Mine did. In 2017, right after publishing A Misfit Entrepreneur’s Guide to Building a Business Your Way , I mapped bold programs and growth goals. I was energized, clear, and ready. And then I wasn’t. A wave of unprocessed, complex trauma pulled me under. Tasks that used to be simple, sending a newsletter, attending a networking event, pitching a perspective client, felt like climbing a c

Ariana Friedlander
Dec 11, 20254 min read


Knowing Isn’t a Finish Line: Rethinking Mastery in Leadership
The other day, on the walk from my daughter’s school to the car, we overheard a teenager listing her instruments: “I know how to play piano. I know how to play clarinet…” My daughter, who’s been studying piano for 5 years, looked up and asked, “What does it mean to know how to play the piano?” Such a simple question. Such a revealing one. We say “I know” as if there’s a finish line. But most meaningful skills don’t work that way. Knowledge expands. Context shifts. Our craft

Ariana Friedlander
Dec 4, 20254 min read
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