Five Friday Faves - 3/21
Musings on confidence
The other week, we went to a Karaoke bar with friends, and I'm pretty sure it was the most fun I've had in a very long time. We laughed so hard, I questioned if I needed to go back to pelvic floor PT. Karaoke has always been my thing—back when we lived in Madison, it was a regular occurrence. If you've ever been to The Karaoke Kid, you'd understand why. It's the world's most perfect little karaoke bar, complete with jello shots and sake bombs.1 But I digress.
Karaoke is the ultimate confidence testing zone. There's a thin line between a dull performance and a crowd-cheering, encore-rousing rendition of a Celine Dion power ballad like "It's All Coming Back To Me Now"2. The difference? Pure, unadulterated confidence—or at least a performance of it.
Lately, confidence has been on my mind, both professionally and personally. Starting a new role is a gut-punch to self-assurance. Learning new norms, tools, processes, and products is tough. Imposter syndrome creeps in like an uninvited guest, whispering doubts and making confidence feel fragile. I know this is part of the process, but knowing and feeling are two very different things.
In a customer-facing role, lack of confidence isn't just a personal challenge—it's a professional liability. I have to pull it together and project confidence, even when I’m still learning. A former coworker's advice rings in my ears: "You know more about what you're presenting than any client on the call, act like it." Sometimes, faking it till you make it isn't just a cliché—it's a legitimate growth strategy. Confidence is earned, inch by inch, performance by performance.
Parenting introduces its own confidence rollercoaster. I'm a more confident parent to my 3-year-old, wisened by the lessons my son taught me. But now, in this new phase of Kindergarten, I'm navigating uncharted waters. I'm trying to project confidence in his milestones and experiences, but sometimes I feel out of my depth. Here, faking it feels a lot harder.
But maybe that's the point. Confidence isn't about having all the answers. It's about showing up, being willing to stumble, and believing you'll find your footing—whether you're belting out an Ashanti/Fat Joe duet solo or walking your kid through his first school year.
If you’re feeling a bit off in terms of confidence, I feel you. Maybe we all need some karaoke, and a reminder that we can fake it until it feels like we own it.
Charly Therapy Sunglasses - I got two pairs of these in the beginning of the summer last year and they’ve held up well. I love the price point and fun shape. I am eying these for this spring.
Mayluna - I LOVED this book so so much, I can’t stop talking about it. If you like Daisy Jones and the Six, you’ll like this I think. It’s a dual perspective, time toggling book telling the love story between the lead singer in a budding band, and a music reporter who gets absorbed into their world. The love story was amazing. I was on the edge of my seat until the end.
Cuyana Pouch - I have been using this pouch a lot recently as something to hold all my goodies between bags and also as a pouch on it’s own. The red one that I have is out of stock, but this yellow is really fun for spring.
Cord Holder - This is a dorky one, but I love this on my desk. It keeps my cords accessible, allows me to use them and then put them right back so they’re aligned.
Superhuman - Kate Blouin recommended this in her Episode, I got it through work, and liked it enough to pay for it on my own. I love how easy it makes email management so that my inbox can actually be a to-do list. I am pretty bad with keeping up with my podcast emails, and needed to get my personal email under control. I do think it’s a bit pricy for what it offers, but I really really like it.
What’s for Dinner
Monday - Madison’s Favorite Tacos
Tuesday - Honey Chipotle Chicken and Beans
Wednesday - Pesto Shrimp and Pasta
Thursday - Grilled Chicken and Polenta
More A Day In Her Life:
ICYMI - This week’s episode with Devan Jesmer is a must listen! We talk about reading, finding workouts that fit our bodies, and aging. I loved hearing how Devan got into aesthetics and pivoted from the corporate world.
One Year Ago - A Day in Her Life with Jo Piazza was such a fun chat. Jo is an author and podcast host, and we chatted right before her book, The Sicilian Inheritance, was released. It was a great read and I highly recommend it.
If you love romance novels, follow something new I’m working on with my friend Anna over on @pepper_books! We’re looking for feedback on our MVP, so would love if you’d take a second to complete this quick survey!
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If you’ve been recently, please tell me it’s as perfect as I remember
A karaoke GEM
I love a karaoke night! I'm terrible, but there's this great dive bar near me that does karaoke every Friday night and the crowd is the most happy, supportive bunch. Everyone gets good applause and we're all there to have a good time. It's the best!