Hey friends -
I’m currently training for the Chicago Marathon. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of running in NYC in the summer, you’d know it… sucks. You’ve got to do it really early in the morning or at the end of the day. The heat is brutal, and the air feels thick – like you’re cutting through it with your body.
Unfortunately, I’m not a morning person. And by the end of the day, my attention has usually been hijacked by something (work, podcast, cat, shiny object...) and I’ve completely lost track of time until it’s too late to go out. So, I run when I can. Usually mid-morning, creeping into noon. Not ideal, but I do it.
Because I know the only way I will be able to run those 26.2 miles and not feel like absolute garbage is if I consistently show up for my training.
Here’s the funny thing: running is basically the only thing I’ve ever done consistently.
Maybe it’s having a race on the calendar to work toward. Maybe it’s the accountability of having a coach (and the shame I feel when I know she sees I’ve skipped a workout). Or maybe it’s just that I feel better when I do it. I like seeing progress. I like feeling like I did something hard. I like the moments when it clears my head and everything feels just a little lighter.
Do I love running? Sometimes.
Other times, it sucks – like when I’ve been out there for two and a half hours and still have more to go. (I’m super slow.) But I do it anyway.
I can’t say the same for everything else in my life.
There’s the half-knitted scarf I told my partner I’d give him for Christmas (maybe next year?). All the writing I’ve started and never finished or shared. The different business outlines I’ve scribbled on my whiteboard – only to erase them months later after taking no action. Or the improv class I (very proudly) quit after realizing I was forcing myself to go.
Some things aren’t meant to be followed through. Others just get lost in the shuffle. Either way, I haven’t always made it to the end. Sometimes I didn’t even get to the middle.
But, like my guest this week told me:
“Consistency is what gets you to the end.”
Showing up is what really makes something work.
This was a very big theme in this week’s episode with Raven O’Neal.
Raven is a serial entrepreneur, community builder, podcaster, and patriarchy-smasher. She’s funny, sharp, and honest. And she’s got the kind of insight that only comes from this magical combination of first-hand experience and watching hundreds of founders struggle and succeed.
You’ll hear us talking about:
Knowing when to let go of an idea (and when to pick it back up)
How fear shows up differently as you grow
The reality of building something when the stakes are higher
Being aware of your blindspots
How to avoid chasing shiny things that derail your energy
We also talked about podcasting, because of course we did. Raven reminded me that there’s a reason we keep doing it – even if it’s hard, even if it’s unpaid, even when the numbers drop, even when (in my case) it feels like no one’s listening, and I start wondering why I started in the first place.
“We all go through cycles of doubt,” she said.
And somehow that made me feel better.
Because the thing is, I do keep showing up. Maybe not for everything, but absolutely for the things that matter. For the things I want to see through.
Showing up reminds you that you have what it takes.
It doesn’t always lead somewhere or feel like progress, but it still counts.
You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to be fast.
You just have to keep going.
Until next time,
M.
🎧 Prefer Spotify or Apple? Take it to-go:
(And while you’re there - don’t forget to hit subscribe and leave a rating 😁)
✨ About Raven O’Neal:
Raven O'Neal builds communitiesand businesses that help women entrepreneurs thrive. Through strategic guidance and ecosystem-building, she has helped women-led startups secure over $100 million in funding while supporting more than 300 founders in navigating growth challenges.
Her impactful work led to the creation of several key initiatives: the Hacking the Patriarchy Podcast, a platform challenging systemic barriers; Fem-Led News, which amplifies women's business narratives; and Startup Women NC, a community she co-founded to support women entrepreneurs across North Carolina.
Raven's approach goes beyond traditional support; it fundamentally transforms how women build, fund, and scale ventures by combining practical strategy with unapologetic advocacy.
🥇 For the Overachievers
During our conversation, Raven mentioned a couple of episodes from her Hacking the Patriarchy podcast that tie into themes we explore in this episode:
Episode 7: Negotiating: Featuring Nicholle Taylor of Aponi Advisors. This one’s packed with tactics for handling negotiation with confidence. Raven mentions BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) in our conversation — it comes from this episode.
Episode 46: Mastering Sales with Emotional Intelligence: This episode gets a lot of love in my conversation with Raven because, as it turns out, women have a harder time asking for things than men (shocker!). Melissa Glick talks about her journey from boiler-room sales to coaching, and why emotional intelligence matters more than a perfect pitch. If you’ve ever felt awkward about selling, this one might shift your mindset.
💕That’s it for today!
And in the immortal words of Dory: just keep swimming.
If you liked this episode, forward it to a friend who might need a little nudge to keep going too.
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