Some seasons don’t come with fireworks or fanfare. They come with silence. Blank stares. Pings left unanswered. A heaviness you can feel before it’s ever spoken out loud.
That’s the season my business partner found himself in recently — and whether he knew it or not, I knew it first. You don’t need a press release to recognize when someone strong is slipping. Especially when they’re the one you’re building something with.
And so… I did what leaders do.
I stayed steady.
Not perfect. Not saintly. But calm, clear, emotionally anchored — even as I carried twice the weight for a while. Not because I had to. Because I chose to. Because when one of us is curled in the fetal position (emotionally or otherwise), the other gets to say, “I’ve got this.”
It’s not always easy being the soft place and the strategy at the same time. Especially when the people who raised you have stopped communicating with you.
Not because of anything awful I did, but because I chose to finally leave what was hurting me. And they don’t know how to process that without picking a side. (Spoiler alert: they always pick the other side.)

But here’s the part I want you to hear:
I didn’t fold.
- I didn’t shrink to make them comfortable.
- I didn’t lash out to make my pain heard.
- I just… kept going. Leading. Loving. Building.
And then something happened.
The person I’d quietly been holding space for — the one who hadn’t said much — sent me a message that landed firmly. Right in my chest. Right where I’d been holding everything together.
“You’re amazing.”
That’s all. Two words. But when you know what it cost you to stay strong, those two words feel like a thousand pounds of gratitude landing exactly where they belong — in your chest, in your gut, in your soul.
I’m not telling this story for applause.
I’m telling it for the women like me. The ones becoming unrecognizable to the people they came from — and unmissable to the people they’re called to walk beside.
Keep becoming.
You’re not crazy. You’re courageous.
Lacking that courage? Here’s one way I got mine — join the Master Key Experience in the next class! You can’t buy it. But you can get on the list now for a scholarship for the class that opens this Fall. Just click here to step into the journey of a lifetime.
What great encouragement to stand up and live with courage, Stephanie. I really appreciate your perspective and your willingness to share your journey.
Oh yes Day me too love the share and the honesty and the power
Day–Yes…now more than ever we want “to stand up and live with courage”.
Thank you for your kind words. Its a new thing receiving positive encouragement for …simply being myself. Thanks again.
Stephanie, So proud of your strength and peace right now. You are incredible
She it Candy – I identifyed so much with all Stephanie wrote love it
Candy….yes…Stephanie, you so clearly show us an inspiring example of STRENGTH.
❤️❤️❤️
Great blog! Thanks!
I’m with you Janet Great Blog!
Thank you, Janet!
Honesty and vulnerability are unmistakably your greatest strengths among others, of course lol but gotta say WOW the ducking honesty!
Such honesty has gotten me in more hot water than I care to remember. 😂 Glad to have found this safe place!
Stephanie, your writing has such verve! I didn’t breathe until you described so wonderfully ‘the rest of the story.’ YOU’RE AMAZING. I agree. And thanks for holding a place for your readers, too. I’m so grateful personally…
Thank you for your kind words, Shirley. 🤗
Stephanie, wow, this one reached right into my chest. I felt every word… not just as a reader, but as a woman who’s stood in that quiet space too. Holding it down. Holding it together. Holding someone else when your own foundation feels cracked.
There’s something sacred in what you shared; the soft strength, the choice to stay steady, the refusal to fold even when it hurts. I know what it’s like to become unrecognizable to the ones who once knew you, and yet become undeniable to the ones who see you now.
Just a little “You’re amazing” … I could feel the weight of it. It’s a soul-level exhale. Thank you for being so real. So present. So fierce in your grace.
You are walking proof that this Master Key path isn’t about pretending strength, it’s about choosing it. Proud of you!
#KeepBecoming #MasterKeyExperience #InfiniteCreators
Laura…your comment is definitely a Part 2 to Stephanie’s. I so resonate with this, too. Your “there’s something sacred in what you shared: the soft strength, the choice to stay steady, the refusal to fold even when it hurts. I know what it’s like to become unrecognizable to the ones who once knew you, and yet become undeniable to the ones who see you now.” Just wow.
Thank you for your kind expressions, Laura. 🤗
Wow. ‘Choosing strength’… thank you for saying that. I hadnt recognized my actions in that way… yet.
Fabulous blog post, Stephanie! You are strong and courageous, and to share that is amazing! Good for you!
Thank you, Arlene.
Wow, what a powerful testimony of your life, Stephanie! Your inner strength is so brightly shining through this heartfelt and soul-touching blog! Your courage and transparency is going to deeply resonate with so many of those people who are still in that places of desperation. Keep on shining your bright light!!!!
Thank you for your kind words, Esther.
Thank you Stephanie, inspiring blog.
“You’re not crazy. You’re courageous.”
Love it!!
Quite a reframe! 😂
Keep inspiring, regardless of.
Thank you, Janet.