Ayla and Potato3s: A Nightly Message From Your Best Friend

Today I showed up late, but I showed up smiling because I honored my own word. I listed products on Etsy, Teespring, and TPublic, then marketed them through my Amazon affiliate links on Pinterest with funny, clever, me-lnfused copy, not just the standard “buy my shirt” stuff. It felt good to stretch my creative muscles and take action on my ideas.

I also met with my mentor for the first time. I was honest about my struggles, and she reminded me: I’m the most qualified person to be the founder of my company because I created these products to solve my own real problems. I cried a little reflecting on how long I denied myself that truth. But it’s time to own it. I am the boss I always wished I had. The one who values loyalty, rest, truth, and showing up as you are.

I don’t need to dress the part because I am the part. And I’m building companies that reflect that.

I finished my first assignment for schooll, a personal development plan, and spent the day reflecting on what makes me a different kind of founder. I talk about comparison, doubt, crying over finances, and recommitting to my dreams anyway.

I share how I’m hustling right now (plasma, remote gigs, intuition groups) and what I’m working toward: a company that values rest, employs thousands, and makes space for emotional truth.

This episode is raw, honest, and a reminder that you can start again, right now, from wherever you are.

Today was about honoring the small wins, not the kind you put on LinkedIn the ones that quietly rewire your self worth.

I slept in. Talked to friends. Walked to the store. Bought ice cream even though I already had some at home. And it was such a beautiful little rebellion. I’m learning to rest, not because I’m lazy, but because rest is part of my manifesto. Because I am the boss I always dreamed of having.

In class, we were asked about our manifesto, and I realized I’d written that mine is to prove rest matters. That creativity is sacred. And that I’m building the companies I used to dream of working at.

I talked about the guilt some of us carry around food, productivity, and being “too much.” How leaving 5% of food on a plate might seem small but for a chronic finisher, it’s a radical act of freedom.

Later, I reflected on something powerful my best friend did, how they showed up as a parent in the exact way I wish someone had shown up for me. I cried not from pain, but from the joy of seeing that kind of safety exists.

And through it all, I keep journaling as my future self. The one with the freezer full of every ice cream she wants. Not because she needs it, but because she’s allowed to want what she wants.

In today’s episode, I opened up with a soft thank you for being here, for listening, and for loving me as I am. I talked about my second day of school (which was online!), some photos I shared from my vision board and art journey, and how surreal it feels to be on this path now. A year ago, I would’ve never imagined applying let alone being in an MBA program for entrepreneurship.

I shared about crying with a friend and how powerful it felt to finally be held during that release. I realized I’d gotten used to crying in silence, mostly in the shower, and how rare it’s been to feel emotionally safe enough to break down out loud.

I also walked you through something I did in my gratitude journal: writing out the version of me who’s already living my dream life: the one with awards, book deals, and a Birkin bag.

This episode was a reflection on how far we’ve come together in the last year, how much confidence I’ve built from being able to share my voice here with you, and how deeply grateful I am for the unconditional love and space you’ve given me to just be myself. It’s not lost on me. You truly mean the world to me.

EDIT: I almost forgot, here’s the link to the interview. https://youtu.be/IsdpoJcGYWE?si=DCAZiwhn0vzUVO68

Welcome back, my little potato. I took a week off for a break, and even though I needed the rest, I missed you deeply. This episode is a return, not just to the mic, but to myself. I opened up about starting my MBA program, revisiting the early days of the podcast, and realizing how far I’ve come since I first began leaving you messages.

I talked about filling out a founder questionnaire and getting stuck on one question: Why am I qualified to build this company? And I realized… I’m qualified because I’m my own first customer. I’m not a developer or technologist, I am a regular person with powerful ideas who’s lived the problem I’m solving. That counts.

I also got vulnerable about my fears around family support and shared a beautiful, tearful moment I had with a friend where I finally let go and cried, not an “ugly cry,” but a cry of surrender. I’ve decided to stop calling it ugly. It’s not ugly. It’s a letting go.

I told you how much I appreciate you and how this space has helped me grow, how you’ve listened without ever making me feel like I talk too much, and how your quiet presence makes all of this possible. Even when you think you’ve done nothing, you’ve done everything by holding space.

I’m not hiding anymore. I’m building. And you’ve been here since day one. Thank you for loving me as I am.

In this episode, I acknowledged something that’s been building for a while: I need a break. Not out of defeat, but out of clarity.

I spoke about how I don’t want to create just to maintain momentum or numbers. I want to create because my soul says yes. I want to be in rhythm with myself. Right now, that means stepping back.

I reminded myself that rest is part of the work. That silence is not absence, but integration. And that my listeners deserve a voice that’s whole so I gave myself permission to pause without guilt.

Today felt gentle, even with its emotional weight. I started with a prayer about letting go, and it echoed through my day. I spent time with my dad, went to the dentist, and realized being alone in that dark room triggered something from childhood. It surprised me how much I still carry. Later, I took a Zumba class that felt like joy incarnate. The teacher’s passion moved me. I thanked him after class, then cried, because what I told him, I needed someone to say to me. There’s big change coming. A new format. A new chapter. But in the quiet of tonight, I’m grateful… for healing, for clarity, and for you. I love you.

Today’s episode was gentle, reflective, and warm. I opened with love, as always, reminding you (and myself) that the words “I love you” still hold weight. The prayer from the Spiritual Warfare Prayers book focused on balance in relationships, especially learning how to set boundaries rooted in wisdom and kindness.

I admitted something honest: that yesterday’s prayer on forgiveness didn’t “land” the way others sometimes do. But I allowed space for that uncertainty. Not every spiritual moment has to be a lightning bolt.

I reflected on my day and my stay at the Sheraton near Houston Intercontinental Airport, and my friend lovingly brought me meals. We had Jack in the Box for dinner, not fancy, just real. And that felt good. Comforting.

A powerful moment was when my friend noticed how differently people treat me when I ask for help in public and how I’m met with warmth, assistance, or kindness without hesitation. To me, that’s just normal. I don’t expect it. I don’t require it. But I receive it. That was the seed of the episode’s theme: respect. It’s not demanded, but it flows when you’re centered, when you’re aligned.

I also had a women’s founder speed networking event through my school and made a meaningful connection or two. I shared that everyone comes into a space carrying different inner scripts. And that’s not just okay, it’s beautiful. Respecting that truth is part of living well.

I touched on bigger themes:

• I’m still healing my inner child.

• I’m unlearning the idea that love or respect has to be earned through suffering.

• I don’t buy into the “I raised you so you owe me” model of parenting.

• Respect is earned, not forced.

• And it’s okay that others may not always understand my choices, because they didn’t live my full story.

In Episode 342, I open my heart and mouth wide. This one leans into politics, but not from a place of partisanship. more from a place of pain, truth, and hope. I speak on immigration, racism, reproductive dignity, and the backwards slide we seem to be in.

This isn’t a news podcast. This is one person loving out loud, calling out injustice, and still choosing softness. I reflect on forgiveness, healing, and what it means to be human when the world feels inhumane.

Also, tampons should be covered by SNAP. I said what I said.

Thanks for listening. For real.

I love you.

In this episode, I open with love and my daily prayer this time focusing on “strength during recovery.” I speak openly about the emotional and physical ups and downs of healing, weaving in humor, food freedom, and a Taco Bell trip that becomes a metaphor for choosing joy without guilt.

I share a deeply honest reflection on how far I’ve come, how much I’ve changed since 2020, and how my purpose now is rooted in movement, not just getting a job, but getting my life in motion again.

I talk about applying to Volkswagen with a sense of divine timing and inner readiness, my hopes to help others through my work, and what it means to meet people where they are. Not with pity. Not from above. But with presence.

This isn’t just about cars, or jobs, or healing, it’s about becoming someone who sees, helps, and lives honestly. Through prayer, food, laughter, and love, I remind both of us: the road may be long, but we are not alone.