👋 Welcome back, aspiring corporate escapees, and entrepreneurs!

This past Sunday, I watched Bad Bunny take the Super Bowl halftime stage, and I cried. Not because of the performance (which was incredible). But because of what it represented.

A Puerto Rican artist, performing in Spanish, on the biggest stage in America. Unapologetically. The storytelling, the culture, the pride in every single moment. And the whole world watched.

In a season that's been heavy for our Latino community, that moment meant so much. When he started listing Latin American countries and I heard MEXICO, saw that flag 🩷🇲🇽, I lost it all over again.

When we rise, we don't rise alone. We reach back. We hold the hand of the person behind us and walk the path together.

That's what a strong personal brand does. It makes people feel seen and understood. Feel like they're not alone.

And that's what finding your voice actually looks like. Not perfection, or permission. Just showing up, loudly, fully, as yourself, and making room for others to do the same.

If you're building a brand right now and still figuring out how to show up as fully yourself, this one's for you.

Let's pull the thread.

-Lu

🧵 You Don't Need Permission

Last month, I sat across from middle and high school girls at Girls Inc. of San Antonio's speed mentoring event. I told them what I wish I'd understood sooner:

Pay attention to what skills you're good at and what you love doing (you can be good at something and not enjoy it!)
Stay curious, ask questions, and take up space
You don't need to have it all figured out right now

These girls didn't wait to feel ready. They showed up with real questions, real ambition, and no apologies.

Bad Bunny didn't wait either. He walked onto the biggest stage in America and didn't translate a single word. He already knew who he was.

So do you.

Maybe you just got laid off after 15, 20 years in corporate. Maybe you left on your own terms. Either way, you're sitting on a lifetime of expertise, skills, culture and experience. You don't more certifications, and you don't need anyone's permission to build this.

You just need to start.

🎯 What "Finding Your Voice" Actually Means for Your Brand

"Find your voice" sounds nice. But what does it actually look like when you're building a business?

See if any of these sound familiar:

🧵You have 10 ideas and can't commit to one. Everyone has an opinion on what you should build. You're not lacking ambition. You're lacking a filter, and that filter comes from knowing who you are, who you serve, and what you stand for.

🧵You sound like a different person everywhere. Corporate on your website, casual on Instagram, someone else entirely on client calls. That's a sign your foundation hasn't caught up to your expertise yet.

🧵You sound like everyone else. "I help driven professionals unlock their potential." Cool, so do 10,000 other people. If you're ready for your voice to be the differentiator, that's a good thing.

🧵You edit yourself before anyone else can. You water down your story because it feels "too personal." But the things you're holding back, your background, your culture, your experience, are exactly what makes people connect with you. You're closer than you think.

🧵You disappear and feel like you're starting over. Post for a week, go quiet for two, feel like no one remembers you exist. That's not a discipline problem. It just means you need a clear message to anchor to.

🧵You have the clients but your business is held together with duct tape. People are booking you, but behind the scenes? No systems, no repeatable process. That means you've already proven the work. Now it's time to build the infrastructure to match. (Stay tuned for next month on that one)

If you're nodding along, here's where to start.

The 3 Question Clarity Check:

Grab a notebook and answer these honestly, out loud, not in your head:

Who do I help? Not "everyone." Get specific. Who are the 3 people you serve best? What are they struggling with when they find you?
What do I actually do for them? Not your title. The transformation. What changes because they worked with you?
Why me? What about your story, your experience, your perspective makes you the right person for this?

If those answers came easily, you're closer than you think. If you got stuck, that's not a failure. That's your starting point. That's the foundation work.

💬 What Happens When You Do the Work

One of my recent clients came to me with a brand that no longer matched the work she was doing. We spent four weeks building her Personal Brand Foundation.

Here's what she said:

"My brand identity was outdated and muddled. I couldn't narrow down my audience or communicate clearly about who I serve. Lu took that mental muddle and put it into clear view. She gave me detail on my identity, values, and how I serve people, but more than that, a complete guide I can actually use. Now I can update my website, show up at events, and communicate about my business without second guessing myself. Everything feels seamlessly threaded together.

What surprised me most was how joyful and supportive the process was. Lu came in at a messy time in my life and only uplifted me. She has such a warm heart and really cares about you as a person and your business. She's detail oriented, passionate, and incredibly talented. I feel a million times more confident. I couldn't be happier I chose Lu to help me rebrand my business!" — Carina Osuna, Financial Coach & Founder, Core Life Habits

That's the shift... Not louder or flashier, just clearer. And when you're clear, everything changes. Your confidence, your content, your conversations, and how people remember you.

🎓 Behind The Thread

I recently graduated from the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center's Milestone Circles program. Twelve weeks of mentorship, accountability, and community with brilliant founders. More on this soon (trust me, you'll want to see what's coming 😉). But the biggest takeaway: growth doesn't happen in isolation. It happens with people who challenge you and hold you accountable. Community over competition, always.

And the momentum keeps going. I've welcomed two new clients this month. 🧡

💌 Fall in Love With Your Story

📅 Tuesday, February 17 | 11:00AM - 12:30 PMCST

📍Working Moms of San Antonio

Next week, I'm hosting my Loose Threads to Clear Story workshop with Working Moms of San Antonio, and the timing couldn't be better.

Valentine's week, the month we talk about love.

But here's my take... before anyone else can fall in love with your brand, you have to fall in love with your story.

That means getting clear on who you are, what you stand for, and why it matters, and then saying it out loud with your whole chest.

If you're in San Antonio and want to do this work face to face, in real time, with other ambitious women, join us!

Register today!

🪡 The Stitch to Remember

Your voice was never the problem.

You just hadn't practiced using it yet.

Whether you're six weeks out of corporate and wondering what's next, six years in and ready for a rebrand, or fully booked and need the systems to match, the work is the same: get clear, say it out loud, and stop waiting for permission to be exactly who you are.

Foundation before momentum. One stitch at a time. 🧵