This is my last week wreaking havoc on
’s Substack and, I’ll be honest, I did not achieve my goal. Turns out the tens of thousands of you on here are VERY FREAKING AWESOME and instead of helping me burn it all down, you added depth, insight, love, and fun to my sabotage attempts.To quote Vonnegut, so it goes.
That said, IT AIN’T OVER TILL IT'S OVER so I wanted to spend this last week gushing about people I’m obsessed with in this community. At my discretion.
There are people here who have generously shared their wisdom and hard-won life lessons, and, frankly, changed my life. I want to tell you about them.
I’m adding photos too, but only choosing the ones I look good in. #sorrynotsorry
Things I learned from Justine
Justine Sones is famous for her zone of freaking genius when it comes to educating people on boundaries (and clarifying WTF they are. You think you know, but until you talk to Justine, you're wrong). It is not physically possible to have a conversation with her that lasts less than 45 minutes because, well, book one and you'll understand.
But forget professional accolades, I wanted to share some wisdom she just casually dropped on me the other day that deserves to be broadcast to the world and incorporated into all of our lives.
When she drops her boys off at school, she says:
Be kind.
Make smart choices.
Listen to your body.
I was well into my late 30s before I could appreciate what these things meant. Sometimes, I raise my fist in anger at the universe (with good reason) and then I remember people like Justine exist and are raising good men, and my faith is restored.
If you don't know Justine, stalk her here but also hit her up on Insta. She's a WCC member and behind-the-scenes doer of allthethings, not to mention an A-list facilitator. Her group Stayin Alive was a godsend to many of us during the pandemic.
Then, of course, please meet, FRANDINA
If you look up generous and kind in the dictionary, you find Sara Frandina. But do not be fooled by her small frame and grayscale clothing choices (she will laugh at that joke). Frandina is strong AF and has provided me with backbone in times when I wasn’t sure I had any left.
She’s the type of person who continues to check in even if you haven’t called her back and doesn’t take it personally. THE WORLD NEEDS MORE FRANDINAS.
Professionally, I can tell you this woman has built a Rolodex of clients who rely on her for market research and copy strategy + writing that rivals anything you've read online. And almost no one has heard of her which is by design.
But that's not why you need to know her or why I adore her.
In the midst of when shit hit the fan in my life, Frandina, pregnant with #2 and battling her own demons because who isn't, managed to send me cards and cards and cards and gifts and books and support in the mail that quickly became life support in times I didn’t know I needed it.
Emily McDowell is out of cards because Sara owns them all and sent them to me and they live on my fridge now.
This is an unrelated sidebar, but Frandina and
have excellent handwriting. It's unfair and appears to come naturally to them and while I enjoy being on the receiving end of snail mail letters from them, I'm also indignant that they got this gift and my handwriting is chicken scratch.Ok but, do you know Florendo?
My guess is if you're on this list you know or know of Michelle Florendo, the famed decision geek whose formal pedigree will cause you to question your life choices because they are so sexy. You can digitally stalk her here but the reason I love her has little to do with the wisdom and quiet strength she possesses, but rather: she was a badass competitive dancer. I can’t find the videos she shared but please blow up her Insta asking for them.
This matters, not just because I personally love dance, but because no one comes off as more demure and unassuming than Michelle and then it's like !POW! DANCE. !POW! Cartooning. !POW! HIDDEN SKILLS LIKE MAKING CUSTOM VERY DIFFICULT-TO-SOLVE PUZZLES AND GAMES. !POW! POW! POW! This girl is on fire 🔥
If you’re in the market for a coach hire her. And if you need a new podcast to binge, click here. You’re welcome.
And now to gush on Jess Kamada
Jess Kamada and I were thrust into a WWC coaching group back in 2020 and to say I was intimidated by this woman is an understatement. She knows how to wield quiet power which is a skill I do not possess (I'm more like the person screaming "LOOK AT ME! I HAVE POWER! WEEEEE!" which exudes the opposite intended effect).
Our interaction was always one of mutual respect but I’m not sure she knows how deeply she affected me. She taught me what it looks like to exist in a corporate setting without murdering your soul. The way she showed up in rooms I was in no way qualified to be in and held her own (which honestly is an offensive phrase because it's the people in the room with her who had to hold their own around her) taught me a lot about how to value your self, especially in a world that consistently devalues your contributions and efforts.
She’s building this now and if you are someone who, like me, tries to outsource your brain to people smarter than you - just follow her and do whatever she says. Cindy Gallop apparently agrees, which, NDB.
I have to wrap this up
There are a bajillion more people like this WWC. I'm obsessed with all of them.
If you're thinking about formally becoming a member, DM any of us and we'll tell you why it's the best decision you've made in a million years.
omg, I didn’t even get to tell you about Michelle Warner, Jordan Many, Lexi Grant, Alicia Jabbar, Jess Eley, Sara Tayor Tans, not to mention Sean and Kaleb who are just MY ENTIRE HEART.
I guess Sarah will have to invite me back.
Or break her back again (KIDDING PLEASE DON’T DO THAT).
Next week, we pass the content torch to someone who will teach you things, say smart things, and expand your brain. Sarah told me who but I already forgot because single parenting is hard and I'm just trying to finish this sentence and hit send before the deadline.
On that note, let us close out by invoking the wisdom of Justine Sones:
Be kind.
Make smart choices.
Listen to your body.
It's been real y’all.
BIG LOVE,
Margo
PS: Come hang out with me over on
. Let’s keep this convo going.For more cultural diatribes from
, head to www.thatseemsimportant.com and get on her email list.Margo is best known for being Sarah Kathleen Peck’s self-appointed favorite friend. And the #1 Google search result for Inbox Booty Call.
Margo Aaron is the co-founder of
, a creative community for people with day jobs and Dream Projects. Learn more here.
Raise your hand 🙋 if you want / need Margo to come back and write more for all of us!!!
I love that all these exceptional people are out there in the world, making it a better place. Thank you for telling us about them!