Ima keep it real with yal, entrepreneurship is some bullshit.
But it’s also art, grit, and vision and a privilege.
Business is about asking yourself: “Who do I need to become in order to really take myself seriously?”

Since my grandmother passed, that question’s been hitting different.
For years, I built my business with half my brain on and half my energy pulled by responsibility. I was showing up, but I was also caregiving. Honoring duty. Holding it all together.

Her absence has left an emply whole in my life + all this extra time on my hands. Time I didn’t ask for. I’d trade it all to have her back…

But grief doesn’t ask for permission, the mf just comes. And in the quiet that followed, I found myself wondering:What do I do with all this time?

So I went on a full-on hunt to find something to keep me grounded.
Emotionally, I’ve been crashing out. Like… spiraling at random hours and staring at walls kind of crashing out. After tons of research and brainstorming, I decided that I would start long distance running again.Because apparently, I don’t know how to pick chill hobbies.Like… why not something cute and harmless like pickleball? Nope. Not my ass.. I said, let’s train for a whole damn marathon.😂 And honestly? The more I sit with it, the more it tracks. A marathon feels on brand for me: a little intense, kinda dramatic, but full of heart and resilience. Just like my entrepreneurial journey and my life.

So it’s been a month and half now of just me, the pavement, and the ache. Running is really helping me clear my head. To give my brain space to think about new things. And with that clarity, creativity started knocking again. (Like I need another mf project!!) So I picked up The Artist’s Way — that 12-week creative recovery program that done got popping again thanks to Doechii (we’ll talk more about her in a future issue). Now mind you, I’ve had this book for about 2 years now but it never felt like the right time to start the book, ya know?

And somewhere between the sweat, tears, and the morning pages (shit you must do as part of the plan inside the book), this quote popped in my head that I read somewhere:

And that’s it. That’s the space I feel myself walking into. And I truly feel like is the ultimate formula every entrepreneur needs in order have the stamina to stay in the entrepreneurial game. Im focused on building a life and business that honors every version of me: the one who dreams, the one who does, and the one who decides. And it’s apart of my life’s work to help others do the same. The second that I have a breakthrough that is impactful, it will come straight to this newsletter. I’m not trying to wait till I arrive somewhere I want us to grow together.

What it represents in life & business: intuition, creativity, branding, storytelling, culture and content.

The artist is really the one who started the business. Because for a lot of us, the foundation of our brand was a creative solution we came up with for a problem we saw in the world.

It was the artist in you that gave you the courage to begin.And it’s that same artist that’s kept your business special, magnetic, and uniquely you.

But when you abandon the artist in you?
You start comparing yourself to others.
You stop listening to your intuition.
You start copying trends and other businesses.
You make decisions out of fear or pressure instead of alignment.

The artist is the one who keeps you original, keeps you innovating, and helps you stay true to the real vision. And that part of you has to be nurtured weekly, if not daily.
By creating from an authentic place. By making space to explore, imagine, and play.

Yes, we need to care about revenue. Yes, we’re building to make money.
But we’re also allowed to like what we’re doing.

What it represents in life & business: discipline, your routines, competition, resilience, your attitude.

I honestly think this is where most of us get tripped up. We’re out here bouncing between the artist and the CEO, but we never really make peace with the athlete in us.
And that’s the part that’s hardest to build a relationship with.

Why? Because the athlete demands routine. The athlete pushes for discipline, consistency, and constant up-leveling. In return,you gain clarity, endurance, and resilience. Life is hard.Running a business is even harder. Without some kind of consistent physical outlet, there’s nowhere for all that pent-up stress, frustration, and energy to go.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned lately is this: If you’re low on energy, movement actually gives you more. It took me forever to get this through my head. I was thinking “if I’m already tired, why would I add another thing to wear me out?!” But now I get it: this isn’t about burnout. It’s about focus and training. Once you train your body into a rhythm, you’ll start craving structure everywhere else too.Now that I’m back running regularly, I feel it. I need to go run, so it’s forcing me to get through my tasks faster, more efficiently, and with urgency, so I don’t have to skip running.

What it represents life and business: strategy, systems, leadership, delegation.

Now I’m not gonna hold you most entrepreneurs think they’re moving like a CEO…
But really, you’re still thinking like an employee.

You just traded working for someone else to working for yourself still as an employee.
What I mean is:
No systems.
No predictable revenue.
No real infrastructure.
Just wingin’ it every day. Fuccin vibes.

You’re the founder, yes. But a true CEO energy hits different.Typically, a business needs a CEO mindset when you’re building something big enough to eventually support at least 10 employees. So keep it a buck: do you have the structure, processes, and revenue in place to confidently hire 10 people right now?

That’s where CEO-you steps in.This version of you is setting KPIs (key performance indicators), building out roles, delegating, and making sure the vision is scalable.

And “scalable” doesn’t just mean growth. It means the business can run, generate revenue, and thrive without you doing every damn thing every day. CEO energy also means you’ve developed the leadership and emotional maturity to handle pressure, make strategic decisions, and move the business forward without burning yourself or your team out.

(And see — if CEO-you has already made friends with the athlete-you, that discipline and endurance is already built in.)

This version of you zooms out.
You plays the long game.
Marathon shit.

Climb your mountain like an Athlete, paint your path like an Artist, and build your ocean like a CEO.

-Méndez⛰️🌊