Midyear Checkpoint
Hello friends, happy Friday!
It’s been a minute since my last blog post—I unintentionally skipped July. To be honest, July turned out to be one of the most unexpected months I’ve had in a while, both professionally and personally. Since I missed the official midpoint of the year, I figured August 1st is as good a time as any to pause, reflect, and catch you up on where I’ve been and where I’m headed.
Juggling July
As I mentioned, July threw me a curveball. I lost my 9-5 job, and while I wasn’t in love with it, it did offer stability and flexibility. Still, I’ve always believed that anything no longer serving you has a way of making its exit. So when it happened, I took it as a sign to pause and reset.
Instead of panicking, I leaned into the unexpected space it gave me. I got curious: What would my days look like if I had full control over my time? Spoiler alert—life feels pretty amazing when you’re not spending eight hours of it working for someone else.
With this new freedom, I began shaping my ideal schedule as a full-time entrepreneur. I carved out time each day to focus on client projects, brainstorm new notebook ideas, and support my mom as she launches a creative project of her own. Once my work was done, I’d hit the gym and then unwind poolside with an audiobook. That kind of balance? Motivating and necessary.
One of the highlights of July was reconnecting with the local creative community here in Phoenix. If you’re local, you may have heard of Archwood Exchange—they’re doing amazing work supporting entrepreneurs and community builders across Arizona. I attended their Coffee and Connect event, held every third Wednesday of the month, and left feeling so refreshed. This past session featured a speaker named Collette Watson from Black River Life, who gave an inspiring talk about storytelling in business. Her words challenged me to reflect on my story, and how sharing it authentically can be one of the most powerful marketing tools we have as entrepreneurs.
Another huge win in July? Wrapping up my client’s fitness journal project! Holding the final notebook in my hands felt like such a full-circle moment, but nothing topped seeing the look on my client’s face as she flipped through the pages. That joy made the entire process worth it. You can check out photos from that project in the “About” section of my website.
In between celebrating that milestone, I also kicked off a new client project! This one is especially meaningful—my client works in the counseling space, and I’m designing a journal to help support their clients. I’ve already started working on the interior pages, and I can confidently say: the creativity is flowing!
Looking Ahead to the Rest of 2025
Can you believe there are only four months left in the year? 2025 has lived up to the adventure theme.
Looking ahead, one of my biggest goals is to continue growing my book of business. I’m enjoying the relationships I’ve been building with my clients and want to keep that momentum going. I’ll also be splitting my time between running Annie Sharae Creations and helping my mom launch her creative endeavor.
And who knows—maybe August will be the month I finally start filming Reels and TikToks?
Thank you so much for being part of this journey with me. I promise not to skip another month.
xx Annie
