Entrepreneur Check-In, Issue No. 3: Plot Twist Season

Originally written April 2026.

Issue No. 3 came with a switch-up. Because last issue, I was hoping for good things to come through. Now I'm writing from the other side of it! Dust the pollen off your lawn chair and take a seat with whatever pastry you're into this month. Let's go.

FRONT PAGE: THE VIBE

March was the best kind of plot twist. One of those where everything you've been building quietly in the background suddenly shows up all at once and says, "Oh, you thought we forgot about you?"... queue up the Dottie Peoples!

THE HIGHS (big & small wins)

• I went from zero active projects to Q2 BOOKED by March 10th.

Not one engagement. Multiple. After months of patience, foundation-building, and trying not to spiral in the quiet stretches, the work showed up. And it showed up fast!

• I remembered that I actually love this.

Somewhere between the waiting and the worrying, I forgot how good it feels to just… do the work. Strategy sessions that light me up. Creative problems I actually want to solve. That feeling of "oh right, THIS is why I do this" came back full force.

• LLC formation is in progress.

"A Side of Greens LLC" is officially in motion. Another grown-up step in the books after my CPA yelled at me in taxes lol.

THE LOWS (reality checks)

• A client paused a project out of the blue.

Things were going well. And then: pause. It's a good reminder that freelance stability is always a little bit of an illusion. You can do everything right and still get caught off guard. The lesson? Keep the pipeline warm even when your plate is full.

FEATURE STORY: YOUR NETWORK HAS YOU

Every single paying engagement I landed in Q1 came through a relationship.
Not a job board. Not a cold pitch. No 11:58pm "just following up!" emails.

A friend would think of me. Say my name. Make an introduction. And that became real work.

And to everybody who shared a roster, sent a check-in text, or reminded me I wasn't delusional for doing this lol? That was you investing in me, and I appreciate the hell out of you for it. hug

I spent a lot of the early months thinking I had to outwork the uncertainty. And sure, some of that matters. But March reminded me: you never know who's saying your name behind closed doors.

That's the kind of network I want to keep building. The kind where you're being there for people, you're showing up for them...and they show up for you. What a blessing.

APRIL TRAILER (coming too soon…)

The work is here. The challenge now is sustaining it! Managing energy, keeping the pipeline active even while I'm delivering, and not letting the "finally booked" relief turn into complacency. We know better.

See you in Mayyyyyyyyy!

Michelle ✨