It's finally happening!

After decades of friends asking me for the answer to save themselves the time — I'm finally writing it all down.

Many years ago (a lifetime ago if we are being honest), there was a guy who sat in the desk next to me on the trading floor at Wells Fargo. Older than me, married, kids, doing well by every measure. Every November when the health insurance options came around, he’d turn to me, the single twentysomething at the desk, and ask what he should pick for his family. The strange thing was, I always had an answer for him. Eventually he started calling me his life coach - mind you, this was years before life coaches were actually a thing.

Around the same time, another friend started calling me Kroogle. Not Google. Kroogle. Because she’d just ask me anything she needed help with instead of opening up her search engine.

I remember these two specific instances from 15+ years ago, but the reality is that’s been my life since I was basically a kid. People text me questions, I have answers. I’ve already gone down all the rabbit holes around the things I needed to figure out, whether it be for my own health, my family, the homes I’ve built, the vacation I was planning, etc.

A couple years ago another friend told me I should be sharing this stuff with more than the people who have my number. She kept insisting that my thoughts and recommendations are worth sharing more broadly, and I ignored her for a long while. It seemed like a crazy idea — who would even care? But she insisted.

I’ve spent weeks (err, months?) circling the edges of this Substack while organizing notes, researching the best way to launch a Substack, debating on what to include in my first post, waiting for the “right” time to begin. Before THAT I spent months (err, years?) compiling a list of all the tips, tricks, hacks, products, resources, tools and ideas that I’ve felt called to share with others in some way. It finally hit me that the “right” time never actually will come, and if I keep waiting for it then all of this information gold I’ve been holding onto will only live in my head, or just continue to be shared with a single friend here or there.

I told myself I was waiting for clarity on what I needed to do, but really I was waiting for certainty. I wanted my first post to feel solid, meaningful, and worth your time, but unfortunately I have a lifetime of using perfectionism as my most common form of procrastination, so that’s where I’ve been living. But I’ve brought awareness to that fact, so here I am, writing before the plan feels clear and before I know the clear next step to take.

Here’s why this won’t read like every other wellness newsletter you’ve opened: none of it came from wanting to be a wellness person or an influencer or someone with any kind of online presence. It came from need. A mystery illness that traditional medicine kept shrugging at, so I became my own researcher to get anywhere. Two kids whose health threw curveballs with no tidy answers. More than a dozen homes built from the ground up, which is how I learned what actually goes into the walls we live inside. Fifteen years in banking (I left in 2021 and haven’t looked back), a real estate management business, a wellness practice, and two homeschooled boys – all of it leading to the experiences that require me to dive deep for my own sake. I dig into this stuff because I have to, not because I love making content. Everything I share here, I needed first, but I’m hoping that someone else can skip all the research and angst and just have the answer, so that’s why I’m sharing.

If you’ve ever delayed something because you didn’t feel ready or things weren’t perfect yet, then maybe we can both start something new before we’re ready. This space is still under construction, and while I have a general plan on how I see things playing out, I’m just going to go for it. So the format might change week to week. It might not. It might be very consistent. It might not. I’m giving myself permission to just let it be whatever it is.

What you’ll get here: tips, hacks, products, and ideas I’ve actually tested. Clean living without the preaching. One practical thing at a time. And I’ll sprinkle in some stories about my own experiences so you can get to know me better – it’s always easier to trust someone’s recommendations when you feel like you know something about them.

Here’s one quick thing on my mind to get us started.

The Shortcut: morning light walk

Every issue I plan to give you one thing I’m using, recommending, or a little obsessed with. This week: the habit I notice most when I skip it.

First thing in the morning I go outside, face east, and walk around my block. No contacts, no sunglasses. Just morning light on my skin and in my eyes. Sunlight in the first hour after waking sets your circadian rhythm, which means better sleep, more energy, a body that knows what time it is. The research on this is real and mostly ignored. Sometimes it’s HARD to make this a priority early in the day when it feels like the chaos starts the moment I open my eyes, but I really do notice a difference in my energy and my sleep when I’m consistent.

I resisted doing this for years because I’ve worn contacts since I was twelve and can barely see without them. I didn’t feel like I could even function outside of my bed without my contacts. This year I got a new pair of glasses for when I’m home, and I tuck them in my shirt while I walk. Everything’s blurry but I know my block, and the glasses are right there if I need them. My prescription has improved three years running (really!) and I think this is a part of why. The sun is truly amazing – it has all the information (light) that the body needs, but as a society we’ve really forgotten that.

Start with five minutes. Even just two minutes. Face east. Naked eyes. No sunglasses. That’s it.

By the way, that’s my whole point for doing this. Everything I share is here to make your life easier, better, safer, more efficient, more fun — the stuff I’ve stored in my head (and in my spreadsheets) over the years. I hope it makes yours feel that way too.

If there’s one thing you’ve been meaning to change but haven’t found the starting point for, hit reply and tell me. I’m building out what to cover, and your question might be the next thing I write about.

Talk soon,

Kristen ❤️