I met my younger self for coffee today.

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/134273_58bb4723e20a41369bbc45cfba6d9eb3/360p/mp4/file.mp4

I met my younger self for coffee today. She sat across from me, worried she’d never have it figured out. She told me she was being mistreated at work, that her self-esteem was so low she feared she’d never amount to anything.

I held her hands, tears in my eyes, and told her—

We made it.

We’re in a TIME photo shoot for the company we’re with.

We’re one of the 25 founders.

We’re doing interviews.

We’re a mother to the most beautiful baby girl.

I told her to trust the process, because we are so much stronger than she ever imagined.

She smiled through her tears. And I did too. Because I finally understood—every doubt, every setback, every moment she felt unworthy was shaping the woman sitting here today.

I am nowhere near perfect—growth is a muscle I’m constantly building. But I am so proud of how far I’ve come.