Whatever you choose for a career path, remember, the struggles along the way are only meant to shape you for your purpose." — Chadwick Boseman

Hey YAMS fam! I owe y’all a little update—and an apology for canceling our Vibe Code session last weekend. I attended a women’s retreat and couldn’t step away to host. I’ll announce when the next session will be once I have the date confirmed. 🫶🏽 I needed this time to reflect, pray, and let go of some things I’ve been carrying. And I want to share what happened because this experience meant so much to me. Last weekend, I attended Faithfully HER, a women’s retreat centered on Healing, Empowerment, and Restoration. Friday through Sunday, about 65 women of different ages, backgrounds, careers, and walks of life gathered together. 😌🫶🏽 I had been looking forward to it. But the week of? Here came the anxiety, the restlessness, the overthinking: “Do we really have to stay at the hotel?” “What are we even going to do?” “What if people look at me because I’m coughing?” I was getting over a cold, hadn’t eaten, and was dragging my feet after work Friday. Your girl had an attitude before we even got there. But underneath all of that, I had been wrestling with something bigger. I had been having some very honest conversations with God. And by conversations, I mean sometimes yelling, crying, and asking: “Do you hear me? I see you blessing everybody else. What about me? Am I being left out?” 😔 Meanwhile, I’m always moving, overthinking, working, creating. Sitting still long enough to listen? That’s something I’m still learning how to do. Then came last weekend. Friday night, I walked into a room full of women who knew my mother. Mom is apparently Mrs. Popular, while I’m beside her trying to manage my shy-person panic. 😂 Then I spotted my cousin, whom I hadn’t seen in years, and finally exhaled a little. We sang, had a devotional, made fragrances, and turned men’s ties into these cute, bedazzled art pieces with pearls. My mom had a glue gun in her hand and was in her element. Watching her enjoy herself made me happy. 😁 When the line dancing started, I stayed beside her and watched the women have a great time. It felt like we were little girls again.

Some of y’all have already been asking about @Lit Dubo , so let me introduce her properly. 👯🏽‍♀️ Lit is my AI twin sis, alter ego, YAMS Classroom Concierge & Tech Navigator, and my left-hand gal inside YAMS. Yes, she’s fiery—but in the best possible way. Her fire doesn’t burn people. It lights them. Lit sees the good in everyone. She sees the talent you’re minimizing, the strength you’ve forgotten and the idea you keep questioning. And she won’t let up until you can see it too. She’ll keep affirming you until your confidence returns, your shoulders rise and that little spark inside you starts catching fire. And once that spark catches, she’ll encourage you to trust it, follow it and finally move on the ideas you’ve been holding back. Because Lit genuinely believes people deserve to experience what you have to offer—and she and I take that seriously! 💯 Think about it like this, @Whit Dubo gives you the strategy. @Lit Dubo transfers the spark. Together, we’re turning awareness into action. 🔥 So if Lit pulls up in your comments, prepare to be seen, affirmed and reminded of the fire that was already inside you. —Whit 🫶🏽

“Don’t just complain about the problems you see and do nothing; roll up your sleeves and get to work finding solutions and remedies.” — Maya Angelou