You know that famous line from Steve Jobs’ commencement speech—how you can’t connect the dots looking forward, only looking back?
That’s become a kind of mantra for me. Whenever I hit a rough patch or find myself on a path I never expected, I eventually look back and see how everything connected. The twists. The sharp turns. The parts that didn’t make sense at the time. Somehow, they all led here.
And today, I’m sitting in that same sense of awe and clarity, as I get to introduce you to something new—something that feels like the clearest “dot” I’ve landed on yet:
The Forward Theory.
The Backstory
This idea didn’t arrive all at once. It’s the culmination of years of thinking about motivation, discipline, confidence, and the fears that keep us from doing the things we love.
And it really began—not at the start of my marathon training—but at the finish line of my first NYC Marathon.
Crossing that line changed me.
It wasn’t just about the miles. Something clicked. A new path was forged. A new “dot” appeared on the map of my life, and for the first time, I felt like I could trace something meaningful in real time.
I realized:
I can do hard things.
I can follow through.
I can surprise myself.
That version of me had always existed. But it had been buried under years of doubt, setbacks, and hesitation. The marathon shook all of that loose—and lit a fire that’s been burning ever since.
The Loop
That fire led to a realization that changed everything:
Movement builds confidence.
Confidence builds momentum.
Momentum gives you more confidence.
And it all feeds back into more movement.
It’s a feedback loop. A self-reinforcing cycle. And it starts with a single step.
Movement → Confidence → Momentum → More Confidence → Movement.
That’s The Forward Theory.
Why This Feels Different
I’ve spent the last year building and reshaping my brand voice.
It started with Super Awesome You, which was about helping people become their best selves—though I didn’t quite know how to deliver that yet.
Then came Brave Enough Today, which centered on shrinking the pressure of long-term bravery into a single day. You only needed to be brave enough for today.
Both chapters were meaningful, but something was still missing.
Then the idea of The Forward Theory started showing up—in Notes, in reflections, in the first ever post I published on this newsletter. I realized the core message had been here all along:
Movement is what builds belief.
I thought back to my time as a spin instructor years ago, how confident I felt telling my classes:
“The same brain that pushes you in here can push you out there.”
That was The Forward Theory, even before I had a name for it.
Trusting the Spark
When I finally put it into words, it was like something clicked. I’ve kept a Post-it under my monitor for years that says “Trust your instincts.” And my instincts lit up with this one.
And because of this newsletter—and your encouragement over these last five months—I’ve also learned how to kindly turn away the inner critic. I know why he shows up: to keep me safe. But I also know now that he’s wrong.
So I thanked him. And I kept moving forward.
What This Space Will Be
The Forward Theory is where I’ll write about that loop—about what happens when we stop waiting to feel ready and start proving we can do hard things.
If you’re lucky enough to have a body that moves, use it. Dance at your desk. Go for a walk. Strength train. Stretch. Move in whatever way you can.
That connection to your body? It’s priceless.
When you move, you build confidence. And that confidence spills into everything else:
You stop fearing the little things.
You start speaking up.
You advocate for yourself.
You try.
You show up.
You change.
That’s the core belief behind this brand:
You are not built before you begin.
You are built in motion.
So here’s my invitation:
Move.
Move again.
And then keep moving.
The rest will feel like magic.
