Rebel Rousing with Amy: 10 Things from 2023

Amy takes stock of 10 critical moments from 2023 and the lessons she's taking with her into 2024.

Wow, Rebels. What a year. 2023 was a wild ride on the entrepreneurial roller coaster, a good mix of "I'm gonna puke!" and "Again! Again!" So, entrepreneurship 101 really.

Though I’ve been so grateful for a metaphorical seat belt as the roller coaster of life whips me around another curve, you know me — I’ve got one hand up in the air feeling the wind rush by. It’s invigorating, even if a little bit scary. This ride is far from over, but as I look ahead to a new year full of big dreams manifesting into reality, I want to take one final look back on 2023.

Because you're in this Modern Rebel universe with me, I thought I'd share what stood out this year, the highlights that made 2023 extra special.

1. I joined a poker club! I am a Poker Power stan. Their philosophy that poker teaches valuable lessons on strategy, confidence, and risk is A+++. I learned to bet on myself this year and I'm proud of who I'm becoming. Plus it was so much fun!
    
2. I ATE A LOT OF BUGS IN LA! My advice on life + business: don't wait for the lightbulb moment, be the lightning, baby. At a dinner party in LA, I posted up by the bug appetizer station and made some major connections and new friends. Hard to take things too seriously when you're downing silk worms! Zero regrets.
    
3. I got flown out to Barcelona to be a part of The Knot’s first ever national commercial! When I got the email, I literally thought it was spam. Barcelona, Spain? Me?! I kept joking they actually meant Barcelona, Missouri…they did not. It was the trip of a lifetime. I'm still pinching myself.
    
4. John and I celebrated five years of marriage! I got a little gushy about it on Insta here but if that’s not your thing, just know this: John isn’t my everything, but he expands everything. It’s not all sunshine and rose and Sometimes I find myself staring at him like,  I CANNOT STAND YOU, but the connection is always there. Love ya, babe. 😘
    
5. Modern Rebel had its 8th birthday! 💥 This was HUGE. 60% of small businesses fail by year 8, but here we are beating the odds. Thank you for that. I do not do it alone.
    
6. We had a full day Modern Rebel team retreat in July to dig into our values, vision, and invest in our relationship as a team. We rented a space in Brooklyn and sat on couches and had time away from the slacks + screens. It was one of my favorite days of the year. I love this team so much.
    
7. So. Much. Travel. I flew to 8 states over 15 times this year. Delta, can you put me in your ads?! Hoping 2024 has less jet lag in store.
    
8. Time Magazine wrote an article about “alternative” wedding proposals + interviewed me + John about our secret surprise engagement trip! And yes, I shared my feelings about it on the ‘gram.  It’s just so cool to see the tides turning in favor of rewriting the rules.
    
9. I did some fun public speaking gigs from DJ Collective in ATL to The Venue Summit in upstate NY. I loved sharing my entrepreneurial story + meeting new people. Fun fact: public speaking is actually probably my favorite thing ever. I even did it competitively in high school! If you’re looking for an affordable, fun speaker to inspire your audiences, hit me up. I want to do more of this in 2024!
    
10. I put in the FUN. Everyone knows the old adage “relationships take work,” but did you know they also take fun? It’s at the top of my to-do list in life, and I definitely checked it off last year. Spontaneous dates with John, living room dance parties with Arlo, a sold out disco bingo Hallmark holiday turned drag show, trivia with my neighbors, an indoor water park day date, and silly post-it notes taped to the bathroom mirror. There will always be mountains to climb and messes to clean up — I revel in the small stuff any moment I can.

If you've made it this far, I salute you. Thank you for being in this Modern Rebel community with me, for believing that relationships matter and reminding me of that all the damn time.

I can't wait to share some exciting updates in 2024. Like, HOLD ONTO YOUR HAT. Seriously (!!!!). I have a feeling this is our year, Rebels.