2024 Word of the Year- JOY!

Welcome to my CMO newsletter, where you will find insights about Marketing, Life, Family and Joy. All the good stuff. I hope my stories will help inspire during these dynamic times called life.

Today's read time is ~4 minutes.

As we round up the year, and head into full fledged holiday spirit with family and friends. I want to make an ode to JOY and all of the JOY advocates out there who make the world that little bit more JOYFUL.

So, just last week I had the incredible opportunity to join a panel at The Wellness Oasis to discuss one of my favorite topics—Joy! Now for those who dont know, the The Wellness Oasis was a 2 day event bringing experts & advocates together to help attyendees to immerse themselves in authentic mind, body and spirit interactive workshops, insightful conversations, self-care experiences.

I was very humbled that I was invited to join four remarkable women on a panel to talk about Joy. Our panel included 2x US Soccer Champion Ashlyn Harris, our Joy Council members Ally Love and Laurie Hernandez, and our moderator, Devi Brown. We got vulnerable and real about achieving joy, even when it doesn’t seem possible, and I was deeply moved by how the audience embraced us with so much love and kindness.  

Our conversation and the entire Wellness Oasis experience left me feeling so inspired and grateful to be part of a movement that’s bigger than what I could have ever imagined. I was so inspired that I would love to share the four things that really stood out for me.

1. Dream Big

When we created The Joy Project, I could never have imagined the incredible people and places this journey would lead me to. From listening to our 55K associates’ desire to help our guests quiet their inner critic and see their beautiful possibilities, to starting the world’s longest compliment chain, enlisting Deepak Chopra MD (official) , as our Chief of Joy, to gracing the stage at Miami Art Week with so many people I personally admire (Goldie Hawn, Ryan Holiday, Yeung Pueblo, Joe Jonas and the list goes on). Needless to say, the impact The Joy Project has made is beyond anything I could have dreamed and we’re just getting started. So always dare to dream beyond what feels possible!

2. Choose Joy

Some days, joy may feel out of reach, and it can be easy to get caught up in the challenges around us. But it's in those very moments that choosing joy becomes the most powerful decision we can make. Even when things feel tough, finding and embracing joy can lift us and guide us forward with hope. Ally Love did a powerful visualization exercise after our panel, which helped me see that we can always find our way out of a dark room if we choose to see the light.

3. Surround yourself with Joyful people

It was an honor to share the stage with two former professional athletes who know what it’s like to be at the top of their game. Ashlyn Harris’ powerful words about how athletes are conditioned to endure suffering to be at their best resonated deeply, because it shows that despite all of the success and accolades,  joy isn’t always easy to see or hold on to, and for many people it takes work to achieve. I’ve found that surrounding yourself with those who give joy and remind you of who you are is the remedy. During Joe Jonas’ talk, he mentioned that he has a group text with his friends where they check in on each other every day and share their gratitude for one another— I love this so much and think we could all use a joy circle, don’t you?

4. Adversity is the foundation of success

Sometimes true Joy can be found in realizing how life is an everyday miracle. Did you know the odds of being born is 1 in 400 trillion?  Gary V shared this with us and it’s amazing to think that we won the lottery of life, even despite the adversity and challenges we’ll face. I tend to think of Joy as an ingredient to life and adversity is the spice—and both are necessary parts of everyone’s recipe. It was during  Gary V and Big Sean’s  conversation that really underscored this for me and how our challenges in life can be a catalyst for our success. His story is a testament to how adversity and challenge pave the way for strength and triumph. So, my friends, if you are going through a rough patch, know that when every door closes and another one opens. It may not be immediate, but trust me, it will be.

Now, If I had a second word for 2024- it would be gratitude. Gratitude is a key ingredient for finding Joy in the present. So with that, I want to share a very special thank you to Jared Schoenfeld , David Oestreicher and their incredible team at 4B Advisory for hosting this thought-provoking event and bringing so many inspiring voices together. It was an honor to be included.

 Grateful for this unforgettable moment and the opportunity to continue spreading JOY in all its forms. 💫 

#UltaBeauty #ThePossibilitiesAreBeautiful #TheJoyProject #TheArtofJoy #ChooseJoy