I turn 30 on Saturday!

Gratitude, celebrations, and goal setting.

Hey honeys and hustlers,

In honor of my birthday, let’s have a little story time.

When I first moved to Durham, I lived 2 miles from a cute neighborhood brewery that specialized in my favorite type of beer - sour, fruity beer. When I had my first birthday in the Triangle, I celebrated with one of their $20 limited-release 500ml beer bottles. Well over the cost of a 6-pack for less liquid volume. Big spender energy. When I had my highest revenue month as a full-time creative entrepreneur in November 2020, I celebrated by purchasing another one of their limited-release 500ml beer bottles. The following year, I celebrated my birthday by purchasing another. In June 2021 when I surpassed my previous highest-grossing month, you guessed it, I celebrated the same way. What's even more intriguing about this pattern is that it was never planned *and* I kept the bottles. Almost like trophies, I had them on display on my kitchen counter. It's like I was subconsciously doubling down on the dopamine hit that was reaching a new milestone or accomplishment. I think many people do this in their own way, publicly and privately.

• Someone gets a promotion at work and they cheat on their diet with a meal from their favorite restaurant.

• Someone lands a new client and they buy something they don't necessarily need that may be a little outside of their budget.

• A creator publishes a video that surpasses their previous highest viewed video by a quarter mile in half the time, and they decide to take an expensive trip to another country to make a video breaking down how they did it.

• A creator has a great month or year and they double down on it by sharing their income on social media. Those types of posts get good engagement, which further adds validation and fulfillment.

For a multitude of reasons, I stopped my "celebration bottle" habit in 2021. I ended it on a high note, with a delicious tart sour beer and a branded piece of glassware from the brewery to match. The question I'm posing to myself and you is this: is treating yourself after a win really such a bad thing?

As for me and my house, celebration is a necessity. Celebrate the small wins, celebrate the big wins, and celebrate them how you like. I felt zero guilt buying those celebration bottles. There can be many arguments against drinking, eating unhealthy food, overspending, or making self-aggrandizing posts on social media after a win. I will not be reading any of them.

Yes, be tasteful. But also, show your work. I think we, as people *coughs* especially women *coughs*, humble ourselves out of opportunities by being afraid to celebrate ourselves. So here’s to celebrating my birthday in style, and setting some goals for year 30. 🥂🍻

3 questions I’m adding to my weekly gratitude practice:

• What do I have now that I would've been extremely grateful to have had 3-5 years ago?

• What am I most excited about?

• What can I do right now to get me closer to my goals?

If you’re 30+ (no need to openly disclose, we welcome all seasoned and sexy folks here), what advice would you have for someone entering their 30s? Respond to this email or share in the comments!

In Readworthy News

Daniel Kaluuya makes his directorial debut

Daniel Kaluuya is best known as an actor, appearing in Get Out, Black Panther, and Chicken Shop Date (my personal favorite of his work). , Daniel Kaluuya directed ‘THE KITCHEN’ alongside Kibwe Tavares, which is now streaming on Netflix. The movie stars Kane Robinson and Jedaiah Bannerman, and if you don’t mind a few spoilers, you can hear from Daniel himself about the film's premise.

Quote of the day

“Take your growth personal in 2024. Really, really personal. Whatever you dream of, double it and go make it happen….Prioritize the promises you make to yourself…Keep your eye on the prize: you, but better.” - Lewis Howes

I hope you’re doing something fun or productive this weekend in my honor. Or just resting, because you need rest.

Please Hustle Responsibly,

🤙🏾✨

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