Becoming Your Own Hype Woman

I recently listened to a podcast that hit me right in the heart (and the tear ducts). It was all about celebrating yourself—not just the wins, but the whole damn journey. The messy middle. The awkward first steps. The tiny “I actually did that” moments. All of it.

And it cracked something open for me.

Because here’s the truth: I used to have the best cheerleader in the world. My mom.

She was the one who reminded me who I was when I forgot. When I doubted myself, she saw my strength. When I questioned if I could really do something, she knew I could—and told me so, usually with the perfect mix of love, sass, and that mom-level “don’t mess with my daughter” energy.

And then… she was gone.

After 46 years of having that steady voice in my corner, the silence was deafening.

I can’t even begin to describe how strange it is to suddenly not have that person who’s always believed in you—even on your worst days. The one who reminds you to trust yourself when you’re wobbling. The one who celebrates you before you even remember to celebrate yourself.

Grief is a wild ride, y’all. There are layers. There’s healing. And there’s also this weird space of becoming—of realizing that even in her absence, her love didn’t go anywhere. It just shifted.

And somewhere along the way, I realized something kind of magical…

Her passing made me step up.

Not just in life, but for me.

I became my own cheerleader. My own hype woman. My own “you’ve got this, babe.”

At first, it felt awkward as hell. Celebrating myself? Um… okay. But slowly, it became a practice. A ritual, even. Celebrating when I launched something, even if it wasn’t “perfect.” Celebrating when I said no to something that wasn’t aligned. Celebrating when I rested instead of pushed. Celebrating when I simply showed up.

So I’m passing this love note on to you:

You deserve to celebrate YOU.

Not just when you hit a milestone. Not just when someone else acknowledges it. Not just when everything looks Instagram-worthy.

Every damn day.

Celebrate the email you finally sent.

Celebrate the tough conversation you had.

Celebrate the fact that you kept going, even when it was hard.

Celebrate the way you love, lead, and rise—even when no one’s watching.

So here’s your permission slip to pop some bubbly, buy yourself the flowers, throw a one-woman dance party, or just take a quiet moment to say, I’m proud of me.

You are worth celebrating. 

You are doing better than you think. 

You are the woman you once hoped you’d become.

With all the love and fire,

Kristen

Your biz bestie, and full-time celebrator of YOU