Sydney Twichell LLC

I had a completely different article planned for this week. It was outlined, graphics were already made for it, the whole enchilada. And then the last 48 hours happened…  

The most unexpected circumstances have left me feeling like I am drowning. I went to an event to support a friend, meet new people, and learn new strategies. Within minutes of being there, I was informed that my brand new white pants had a big, rust colored splotch on the back of them. 

You know how you get this gut feeling that something is going to happen, but you ignore your instincts and then it happens? Yeah, that was this moment for me. I knew white pants were a gamble, what I didn’t know was my niece had left a crayon in my driver’s seat last year and the crayon was not fully out of the seat. So the hot summer sun helped it melt into my pants. Luckily, I had a change of clothes since I was going to the gym after and had an athletic skirt I could change into, but the humiliation will haunt me for a while. 

The next day, I had a doctor’s appointment in the morning. I drove the hour into the city, finished my appointment, and started to head back. What I didn’t know was that almost every single route towards home was having major construction. So in the chaos of traffic and navigating around people, my car’s mirror got taken off while trying to avoid another car that almost hit me. Normally I wouldn’t panic too much, but my husband and I leave for a road trip across the country in 5 days. So to Amazon I ran to get a new mirror in time. I eventually got home hours after I wanted to be, and was only home for about 3 hours before I had to leave again. No time to be productive or get all of my work done.

Later that evening, we met with my dad and sister to celebrate his birthday. I didn’t bother with makeup, fixing my hair, or wearing nice clothes because it’s just family… and that’s when my sister surprised me with her boyfriend that I did not know existed. Suddenly, I feel incredibly insecure. I am not at my best. I didn’t sleep well, I have no makeup on, my hair is messy, and I had cried a lot that day so my eyes were puffy. I was unprepared to meet someone new, let alone someone important to my sister. 

All of these changes, chaotic circumstances, and last minute fixes have completely exhausted me, and I know I’m not alone. Running a business can feel incredibly overwhelming when everything else in life starts to punch back. I cried to my husband because I felt I had failed at keeping up with work the last two days with everything that’s happened. 

So, why am I sharing this with you? Because I want you to know that I don’t have it all together all of the time. I scroll through TikTok and Instagram for work and see so many videos of these gorgeous, skinny, organized women showing off their day to day lives as business owners. “What My Day Looks Like Running a Six Figure Social Media Management Company” videos are constantly in my feed. Comparison truly is the thief of joy. I see these videos and immediately feel ugly, unworthy, and unorganized. 

But the reality is, my unique approach to life is what makes my business stand out. At the heart of my business is the desire to serve female entrepreneurs who need their load lightened. I don’t need to be perfectly skinny or have a perfectly organized house to record in for me to do my job well. 

And I want you to know that. You don’t need to look like everyone else to be the brilliant Clever Girl you are. Your expertise and mission is what makes your business thrive and your reputation shine. When you’re authentic, people are far more likely to invest in you. 

So yes, I am messy. I am tired. I am overweight despite eating right and working out. My house was built out of a Sears catalog during the Great Depression (true story). Despite all of that, my business serves women exactly how it should, and my talents shine despite my flaws. 

I want you to write your own affirmation to remind yourself of the badass you are. Because you are smart, beautiful, talented, powerful, and most of all – Clever.