Hi loves,
 

Happy Moon-day. 🌕 This full moon marks a really exciting milestone for me—the launch of my business, Softer Sounds! I wanted to write you all about it first, and to share the more vulnerable story of how this business came to be, before I have my “official” launch over on the Softer Sounds mailing list later this week. Here goes…
 

Over the last decade, I've had many quasi-businesses. Selling books, hosting workshops, designing courses. I've surrounded myself with full-time entrepreneurs, while keeping my options open in academia, freelance work, and part-time employment. I knew I wanted to create something of my own, but I couldn't find the right idea and commit.
 

The past year, however, has been really clarifying for me. On the one hand, my year was marked by a series of endings. I finished my PhD. I published my book. I lost a family member. I moved. I quit my job. I ended my podcast. I closed half-a-dozen doors that I'd been holding open for a decade (or a lifetime).
 

And it was hard. I had to take time to celebrate and mourn all that work completed. I had to feel the grief, stress and burnout it entailed to do all that in isolation and without community ritual.
 

And I know I'm not alone in this. If you're in the midst of your own series of endings, my heart goes out to you. I hold space for and sit in it with you. There's no timeline for emotional processing. There's no endpoint for grief.
 

But from my own journey, I can report that amidst the darkness I've found a desire and a drive to bring something new into the world again. So here I am, forever your Aries Sun striking a match and hoping a fire ignites. Landing in your inbox to share something beautiful that I've created with and for all of you.

Softer Sounds is a feminist podcast studio for entrepreneurs and creatives. For me, it's a site of integration, where my podcasting, writing, listening, and dreaming can all come together to help women and nonbinary babes share their voices and bring their visions to light. In this business, I get to be both supporter and shining star, and you—if you'd ever like to join me—get to share your brilliance and be deeply supported in launching a beautiful podcast.
 

Whether or not you ever want to start a podcast (no pressure from me, I promise), I hope that you'll check out my new business website and forward this email to any friends or colleagues that you know might want to start a podcast or who already have one and might be looking for support now or in the future. I've carefully crafted packages for aspiring and experienced podcasters. I'd love to hear from you or your communities about working together.
 

As I was writing this email, reflecting on endings and announcing beginnings, I was reminded of something I wrote in Fifty Feminist Mantras:
 

Every beginning holds many pasts, presents, and futures. Every beginning holds even more ends. This can be profoundly exciting and overwhelming, simultaneously.
 

That's definitely how I'm feeling today. Excited and overwhelmed. Grateful to have this space to share my feelings. A little terrified to be publicly declaring that I believe in my ability to provide for myself, and happy to find that I really do believe it.
 

Thank you as always for witnessing me. As I launch my first business, I welcome you into my inbox with questions, feedback, and encouragement. You're all stars, and I hope to podcast with you one day, if that's what you'd like.

xoxo, Amelia

P.S. If you're thinking to yourself that you better unsubscribe before I fill your inbox with a bunch of podcasting things you don't care about, I want to assure you that this newsletter is not pivoting to a business list. 
 

I don't intend to start sending you podcasting tips or creative listening practices. If you'd like to receive emails about those things, you can sign up for the Softer Sounds mailing list here.