04/06/2026
People like to kick you when you’re down. They like it better when you’re there on the ground. And until now I’ve never made a sound.
I’ve bared my pride and my shame.
I’ve accepted all the blame.
With no regrets.
And no excuses.
I made incredible memories and incredible mistakes but still wouldn’t change a thing. My goal was always clear: to empower women to embrace their own beauty and feel empowered, but the moment to step away was immediate and ideal. The only explanation was given to those who deserved to know.
For my own mental sanity, I shut everything off.
Went dark.
Disappeared.
Thank you to the people who reached out and checked in. I probably never responded, but I never forgot, either. I learned who the realest people are: the ones who stick by you and support you, even when you have nothing to offer in return. Those are my people. To the many, many others who only said words behind my back: I’m flattered, truly, but I hope you find your own happy f*cking life.
And what I know for sure is that love and forgiveness are not finite emotions. They are choices. I had to dig deep to find these emotions…repeatedly. Our human hearts forget how strong they are, and sometimes we get lost along the way. That doesn’t mean we give up...we just let go, and move to a better place.
Now, I choose to thrive.
I choose life again.
To laugh loudly.
And love harder.
And be present in every moment.
I spent so much time making others happy, I forgot about myself. No more. This chapter is about me, and I’ll be the one writing it. And to the ones who think that I’ll forget…I never, ever forget. (Shout out to the ex-employee with the cheating husband who opened a “hat shop” in her back shed with all of my vendors. Love ya!!)
So what’s next? I have no idea. But I will keep sparkling on my own….and I couldn’t be happier. Stay tuned.
xoxo
Chuck
