Back in the game
Not April Fool's... this Substack is back.
What really happened.
Back in January, I shared that this newsletter was going on hiatus for the first quarter. My reason for the break… “Nothing dramatic. Just an honest break to focus on different strategies, tactics, and activities.”
The truth is I ran out of steam and I ran out of ideas. The thought of writing it each week began to feel like a slog. I was no longer eager to share what I was seeing in the businesses I was working with (and in my own).
Out of nowhere it hit me that I needed to just stop, and it was like, “Of course.” As soon as I admitted that to myself, I felt so much better (yes, I felt lighter). I knew I really wanted to leave this behind for a while. So I did.
It wasn’t easy and I still knew it was the right thing to do. So, I share this:
Thank you “gentle readers” who told me that they’d miss the newsletter landing in their inbox on Wednesday morning. It made me feel a bit bad and also it helped me to know that when I’m doing something for the love of it, it works.
And I was no longer doing it for the love of it.
Aries season as the start of my personal New Year.
I knew on December 31st that the traditional New Year was a non-event in my life. I could feel it. So much so that it didn’t even register.
In those first days of 2026, I decided to honor the astrological new year which is the start of Aries season. That meant giving myself the grace to not force anything (or worry!) until March 20th. It turns out that was a gift.
The fallow period.
My Human Design Type is a Generator. That means I work best (in business and life) by following what lights me up, by being energized and excited about an idea and what I’m doing.
When December hit, nothing was lighting me up or getting me excited. This continued into the traditional start of the New Year. My creative well was dry. And most of the places I’d been showing up online (platforms and networking groups) no longer felt good when looked at under the lens of real outcomes (emotional and otherwise).
If I was to truly lean into my design, it would mean doing nothing (client work aside). I quickly learned it’s really, really difficult to do nothing. And there was this — it’s so easy to think that doing something (anything) is better than doing nothing.
But that’s not always the case. Forcing myself to do nothing rather than do things that didn’t feel right or were not generating a desired result was not easy. Yet I came to see that, over time, by not giving into the temptation, I was gradually opening up some space for other things to come in.
A first green shoot emerging out of the soil.
In late February, looking for something that might help, I joined a creative salon hosted by author and creativity coach Lindsay MacMillan. It was a tea held at a Soho hotel on a Friday afternoon and it was an intimate group. I’d not met Lindsay before. She was warm and welcoming and clearly a pro at these types of gatherings.
She started by having each of us introduce ourselves and what we did, and share what had us inspired and excited at the moment. Note that at this point, I was still in full “fallow mode.”
There were five women ahead of me. As I listened to each of them share what has them jazzed at the moment (so many interesting things!), all I could think was, “F*ck. What am I going to say when it’s my turn?” Really, f*ck. What could I make up, even though it wasn’t my lived experience, to satisfy the group so they would move on to the next lovely human.
Then I decided not to go that route, not to let myself of the hook. I decided to tell the truth. I simply said, “Nothing. Nothing has me inspired or excited at the moment.”
As I said, Lindsay is a pro. The rest of the group just looked at me, not sure what to say, but Lindsay had exactly the right response. She said, she’s been there, and it’s a really tough place to be. And she appreciated that I shared that with the group and had the courage to hang out in that uncomfortable liminal space. That was exactly what I needed to hear.
We moved on to brainstorming an idea another female founder had for a new Substack and then (my courage up now) discussing how I could extend my monthly Business/Women Salon meetups to longer, more intensive gatherings on a quarterly basis. I left Lindsay’s afternoon tea slightly uplifted and moved on to see some art at a few galleries on Broadway south of Canal.
Whether I realized it or not at the time, the seeds had begun to sprout in the compost of what I had let die away. A week or so later, I knew exactly what I wanted my Substack to be in its next iteration. I was excited by the idea, like tingly in my body excited, in a way I’d not been in a very long time.
What to expect here going forward.
Each month, I’ll be writing one long form piece like those you’ve come to expect, with business advice and guidance. Note(!) I’m always open to answering burning questions you have about your business in an upcoming newsletter. Just hit reply with your question(s) and I’ll confirm receipt.
The rest of the month, I’ll host two to three Substack Live conversations with other female founders. These are women who are expert at what they do. They’ll share their knowledge, wisdom, and expertise and, in some cases, their learnings as they’ve grown and evolved their businesses.
No two will bill exactly alike. But I can promise you they’ll be interesting and you’ll have at least one nugget to use in your business (and life). Choose which of them resonate and meet you where you’re at.
The Substack Live schedule.
Here’s what’s coming up, so mark your calendars! April starts off with some real Aries energy… there are four Lives on the schedule.
To kick things off on April 1st (no April Fooling here), we have the founders of After Noon Foods. If you have an idea for a healthy food you want to bring into the world, this is for you or you’re just curious about what it takes, this is for you.
April
April 1 - 11 am EDT — Connecting With Food - After Noon Foods founders Kelly Duerr & Erica Gendell
April 9 - 2 pm EDT — Getting Aligned with Etalon founder Kristina Rudzinskaya
April 15 - 1 pm EDT — Let’s Talk Human Design with Allison Roman
April 29- 1 pm EDT — Redefining Prosperity for Female Founders with Watch Her Prosper founder Ruchi Pinniger
May (so far)
May 6 - 11 am EDT — “The Big Unlock: Liberate Your Creativity Through Mindful Journaling” with author, creative coach, and AllSwell Creative foudner Laura L. Rubin
May 19 - 1 pm EDT — “The Anti-Marriage Pact,” Creative Channeling, and Overcoming the Starving Artist Narrative with writer and creativity coach Lindsay MacMillan
I hope you’ll join us.
On alignment.
My Substack Live guest on April 9th is Etalon Posture Bra founder Kristina Rudzinskaya. I was introduced to the brand at the end of 2025 and have been wearing my Etalon bra pretty much daily since then.
That consistency has made all the difference. My posture has noteicably improved. I now carry myself differently in my body, and I even walk differently (yes, more aligned) which is, frankly, awesome.
What I've found fascinating is the body really knows how it wants to be once you've shown it what correct posture is. Even when I'm not wearing it, my body auto-corrects if I happen to be hunched over my laptop.
Recently, the Etalon team interviewed me about creating meaningful connections, practicing discernment, learning when to say, “no,” and alignment in business and the body.
E: What does “living in alignment” mean for you right now — in your work, your relationships, and the communities you choose to invest in?
K: For me, living in alignment means showing up in the most present and truest way possible, no matter the circumstance or the setting. It means creating and holding respectful boundaries and exercising the right to say “no” when something feels out of alignment…
Read the full interview here: Strategy Meets Self-Knowledge With Katherine Danesi.
And if you know your body is whispering to you for better alignment, use code KATHERINE DANESI at checkout for 15% off your first order.
A new chapter.
Thanks for hanging around while I figured this out. I am truly grateful.
Until next time.
Katherine
#ICYMI
Love this honest, vulnerable share, Katherine! Gosh, we've all been there in those lulls– not feeling inspired by or excited about anything. That's me quite often as a Manifestor LOL. SO excited for our conversation and love your latest shift with substsack.
Love this, Katherine!! Grateful we met and cheering you on as you follow your creative spark with this Substack and beyond! xx