“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful
than the risk it took to blossom.” -Anais Nin
You may have noticed things are a little different around here – especially if you’ve followed Houseplay’s work for a while.
Over the past year, I’ve gone through a huge personal transformation. I’ve said “yes” to two different leadership development programs, and I’ve begun to unfurl into a new and bigger and bolder version of myself. I’m traveling solo a lot – something I’ve always loved, but that I had been denying myself since I first became a mama ten years ago.
I look and feel physically different. More confident. More embodied. I’m standing taller. I’m showing up stronger. An old friend told me she can finally hear me – no more mumbling.
And of course this personal transformation has reverberated into my professional life.
I’ve stepped into the invitation to become the face of Houseplay, where before I was much more comfortable staying behind the scenes. We’ve hired three new full-time team members. We’re planning to move Houseplay’s home base from my actual home into our first office space, in Montclair NJ (coming soon in early 2020).
We’ve decided to focus our renovation efforts in Jersey City – the place where it all began. I added Vision & Planning Sessions and Homebuyer Support to our roster of services. I experimented with offering design support from afar (via our Home Refresh Sessions) and decided to table that approach for now.
I had a conversation with my content director earlier this week who expressed what I was feeling perfectly in other areas of my life: that Houseplay’s messaging has one foot in the “old camp” (where our main content was exclusively comprised of renovation project posts) and one foot in the “new camp” (where we’re talking about finding bliss, the connection between transforming your home and personal transformation, and creating beauty every day).
There are two stark examples of this tension that I think illustrate my point. One is that last week, an email went out about my in-person workshop, Find Your Bliss, with a photo of me in the woods looking light and free – and a few days later, an email went out with our blocky dark gray Houseplay banner showcasing an impersonal post about a new home renovation project. (A friend texted me and said, Someone’s having an identity crisis.)
The other stark example of this tension is between the photos on our website – when I believed I had to fit myself into what a general contractor should be – and the photo shoot I just did. (What a difference a few years makes!)
All of this is to say that as I grow into a new version of myself, Houseplay is growing into a new version of itself, too.
We have some really exciting things planned in the next six months in terms of projects and content. I’m sure we’ll continue to have growing pains – but I know that the growth will bring its own reward.
Stick with us! The new “us” is going to be bold and beautiful.
