For this month’s podcast, I spoke with Sylvia, Cape May’s Poet Laureate, fellow at Yale, professor of English emeritus at Rowan University, and the heart behind Cape May’s Art Space and Poet-Tree. We had a lovely conversation.

Here’s what we explored:

On visibility and courage: How Sylvia puts her writing into public view, from her memoir to the poems she hangs outside her home for strangers to take.

On starting something new: Her ‘no fear of failure’ policy that serves her in all her work as a poet, memoirist, playwright, translator, curator, and teacher.

Takeaways: Reflections on five decades of teaching, and a valuable piece of advice for those earlier in their careers.

“I think what you need to do, all of us, as we move forward through life, even at my stage of life, is look for models. And take from those models pieces. Not get the full menu from somebody else, because you’re not that somebody else. You’re you.... Find those guiding lights outside of ourselves, but really mainly inside of ourselves, and try to mesh the two. Find external and internal lights and see if they can just come together and create something sparkling.” – Dr. Sylvia Baer

Thank you so very much, Sylvia, for sharing so generously from your experience and perspective as a lifelong writer and creator. Thank you for being a true model of what it means to be courageous and visible as a writer.

I sincerely hope you all love + share this conversation with others. I’d love to hear what resonates with you in the comments. ✨

A final note: Starting in August, this publication, my creative garden, will be moving fully behind the paywall. Free intros to each post will always be here at the garden gate, but the full posts, conversations like this one, and all my writing will be behind the paywalled garden gates for paid readers going forward.

This isn’t about scarcity, it’s about depth. 🩵

I want this space to be a place of real dialogue and deep community, and I’ve found that happens more naturally when people have chosen to be here and feel safe to express themselves behind the paywall.

This is also about bringing another level of clarity to my work. ✨

My socials will remain the place where people can discover my free work, and Substack is now becoming more like my Patreon model: the place where the people who want to receive and engage with my work more closely can do that, and where that support directly sustains the writing itself.

If you’re ready to become a paid reader, this is a beautiful moment to step through the gate. I’d be honored to have you.

with so much gratitude, Sophia 🌸

🌷 by Sophia Claire is a reader-supported creative garden. To receive new posts, sign up as a free or paid reader. 🌷

I made a deal with myself at the top of this year.

Smarter. Richer. Hotter.

Not just aesthetics. That ‘it girl’ energy. That ‘this is me living my richest life’ energy. That ‘this is me co-creating my dream life with God energy’ continuing into 2026 and amplifying.

You may have made a similar deal with yourself. Did you promise to stop waiting and start building? Did you promise to keep your promises to yourself? Did you promise to get smarter, richer, and/ or hotter this year?

Are you ready now, for a gentle and loving check in?

Not to grade ourselves, but to get honest and get moving.

7 months into the year, we’re in hot, sparkly, happy July 2026 now. So here’s your guide for your hot, sparkly, happy goals audit and check-in with yourself. Perhaps some of your goals have moved or changed. That is all good! It’s helpful to know where you are at this point and see where else your vision is guiding you for the remaining 5 months of 2026 and beyond. Here we go!

Your 7th month hot, sparkly, happy goals audit and check-in

Step 1: Revisit your top 3 goals.

What are your top 3 for 2026?

Mine can be most simply stated as hotter, richer, smarter.

I have metrics for each, we’ll get there.

First, check in with yourself on an emotional level. Take some deep breaths. Feel into your heart. 💗

Ask yourself, are there any areas of your life where you feel you’re trying too hard?

I’ve recognized some try-hard energy in a few areas and I’ve released that now. I’m welcoming in ease and gratitude.

How do you feel about your Top 3 goals for 2026? Write down anything notable.

Step 2: Audit your top 3 goals.

If you were to draw a circle and split it into three parts to represent these three goals, how would you fill in your progress on each?

You can do this in your mind, but if you like, go ahead and join me. Take a moment to draw a circle, label your three goals, and see where you think you are at this 7-month mark.

For example, here’s my circle:

Step 3: Now, you can add 1-3 metrics for your top 3 goals.

Which metric is contributing most to your status on this goal?

Is there a metric that feels neglected, that needs a bit more of your attention?

Which metrics are you most proud of?

Which metrics have shifted since January?

Which metrics are calling to you as your areas of focus for these next 5 months?

This naturally leads us into…

Step 4: Brainstorm: Which actions will move the needle on your top 3 goals?

Within the clarity of this reflection, ask yourself which actions will most move the needle on my top 3 goals?

Some of the answers may come in the moment, some may come later. Be open to receiving that clarity as it comes.

Clarity always comes when called.

Is it clear that one of your goals is your top priority now?

Or, are you sticking in consistency with each of them until the end of the year?

For example, here are the metrics that are working for my top three goals and I’ve highlighted my focus areas.

Hotter:

* Maintain: consistency with my nutrition and cycle syncing

* Maintain: consistency with strength train 2-4x per week, depending on how I’m feeling in my cycle

* Maintain: walk 10k + steps most days

Smarter:

* Focus: complete second draft of my novel

* Focus: begin querying agents

* Focus: study Spanish, find friends to speak French with

Richer:

* Maintain: weekly money dates

* Maintain: paying down credit cards

* Focus: scaling my income — more sources and more clients.

My habits around getting hotter are pretty set at this point. While my health goals continue to be a top priority for me, now I see that I am bringing in more balance into my life by keeping up those good habits while I direct more of my focus towards my other goals.

I’d love to know, what changes are you making now as a result of this reflection?

I’m stepping into an acceleration phase which I have spent the last year preparing for.

And what energetics are you calling in to support you in this next phase?

I am aware of the acceleration happening. I feel this fiery energy around me. For me, this is Drake music energy July. Like the money just grew off a tree, like the money just came in for free… July. 💚✨

I’m so grateful to be in a season where client referrals are begetting more business for me. I recently took on a lovely copyediting client with a quick turnaround deadline, and it went beautifully. I’m also wrapping up grant management work for a client I’ve loved working with, and my calendar is opening up for what’s next.

So, if you or someone you know could use support with editing, project management, or strategic communications, I’d love to connect. Book a connect call with me here.

This is what scaling looks like for me in this season. Not hustling toward something new, but trusting what’s already in motion.

Reflection is important, especially during this very active month of July.

Reflection is its own kind of action. And that is exactly why this 7-month check-in moment matters more than it might seem.

Because your focus is truly your magic.

I think we all need that reminder sometimes. So here it is for you with emphasis— your FOCUS is your MAGIC ✨

Say it with me now— my FOCUS is my MAGIC.

Here’s your reminder to focus on what you love. Love on what you love and it loves you back 💗

with so much love for wherever you are in your own 7-month check-in,

xoxo,

Sophia

About the Author:

Salut, I’m Sophia, self-identified beach fairy on a small island. I write about embodiment, creativity, and the whimsy of building the life you love. I’m also a speaker and consultant, a Coast Guard spouse, and most days knee-deep in the second draft of my debut novel. When I’m not writing, I’m editing other writers work, helping leaders grow their own Substacks, and supporting mission-driven organizations with funding strategy and communications. This is a flourishing space and I’m so glad to welcome you into my creative garden.

Want to go deeper? Here’s how we can connect:

🌱 Book a Hot Tea with Sophie call and let’s talk through what’s on your heart or your to-do list.

🌷 Interested in growing your Substack? My Substack Success Session is a one-time deep dive into your setup and strategy, made for writers ready for more clarity and more readers.

⛲️ Looking for 1-1 strategy and support? I offer editing services, project management, and strategic communications through Laettner Joubert Writing & Consulting. Message me to talk about working together.

🧚🏻 If you’d like to refer me to someone, here’s a bit more about me you can share:

Sophia Laettner Joubert is a writer, speaker, and consultant. She offers editing services, Substack growth strategy, project management, and strategic communications through her business, Laettner Joubert Writing & Consulting. She writes on embodiment and creativity at by Sophia Claire on Substack. Connect with Sophia here.

💗 And if you’d love to hang out beyond this inner garden, find me on Instagram and/or LinkedIn!

💌 I am happy to share that my sweet friend Suzanne Roberts hosted me on her Purpose for Life podcast. We talk about moving from self-punishment to self-compassion, and how to magnify what you love in your life to call in more of it. Short, sweet, and so shareable. You can listen here (24 lovely mins).

by Sophia Claire is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, sign up as a free or paid subscriber.

I thought, girl, this question deserves an entire post dedicated to it. So, here we are.

My 3-step process for growing consistently on Substack and reaping the rewards of your work.

(And, even if you are not interested in Substack success specifically, the embodiment practices in this post are useful towards the achievement of any goal.)

You can watch the video for this post here, where I include some additional asides as I read this post aloud, or you can listen to this post as written in the Substack app.

Let’s get into it.

Step One: Envision YOUR Best Scenario

The technical step: Set up your publication for success.

Set your publication branding, align your color scheme, create a logo for your publication. Set a profile picture which shows your pretty face.

All this branding is meant to give an authentic sense of who you are and who your publication serves.

On that note, your bio on your Substack profile is important. Ensure that it reflects who you are and who you serve. And perhaps it also offers a playful glimpse into your other interests.

For example, mine is: writer on a small island. beach + garden fairy. reflections on creativity, whimsy, and embodiment 💗

Once you’ve set up your Substack profile, you are prepared to tailor your publication’s About Page and your welcome emails to your branding.

Your About Page presents who you are to the wider world. People will find it when they visit your site, so make sure that it reflects who you are.

Your welcome emails should similarly present who you are. The welcome email is the first sweet little note that new readers receive in their inbox from you, so be sure that you love what they will receive.

I use my About Page as the template for my welcome email, so that there is recognition and cohesion there.

You can also add bonuses to your welcome emails, such as direct links to some of your most popular posts, or a freebie PDF, if that is something that you offer to new readers.

I recommend checking in on your About Page and your welcome emails at least quarterly. Give it a read-through and make any necessary cuts, additions, and updates as needed.

Keep in mind, none of this is set in stone. So don’t worry about getting started. Create what you like now, and you can always change it later.

Your branding can evolve with your publication over time.

Personally, over my four years on Substack, I have changed my publication name and my branding four times. I think I have finally found what sticks, but each phase was wonderfully beneficial to me.

Just start. Now is the best time to create from.

I offer a Set up Your Substack for Success consultation to writers new to the platform as well as those established who seek my direction in creating meaningful updates. If you’d like support with this step, you can book your Set up Your Substack for Success consultation with me here. Once booked, I follow up to schedule our call!

A side note to respond directly to my reader’s question— If your publication shares primarily scientific research, that is great! And also, it’s important to imbue your publication with your personality so that people get to know you, they connect with the writer behind the information that is being presented. This does not necessarily mean that you need to share personal stories as entire posts, but it does mean that there is perhaps space for you to add in personal anecdotes here and there. Perhaps in your intro or your sign off to your email. A little warm note here and there. And/ or you could focus your personal stories into Substack notes. Whenever a piece of your research from your work comes to mind, springing naturally from a connection in your life, you could perhaps type those up as Substack notes in the moment. I find conversational writing— dialogue between two voices so distinct and interesting, and I think this could work well for your growth on Substack notes. I imagine you have conversations with folks regarding this research in daily life— what interesting bits of those conversations can you copy down and share? Notes that show discrepancies in understanding, and can point to how your publication brings the solution, and how your deep dives into the scientific literature shine a light on the truth — will be so powerful!!

The embodiment practice: Spend some time in silent meditation with the intention to receive clarity on what the best scenario is on Substack for you.

Not for anyone and everyone else. For you.

Prime your mind with these questions— Who am I on Substack? What am I here to share? And who am I here to serve?

If you like, ask your guides and angels to send you clarity. Open your heart and be patient. Clarity arrives at just the right time. Record what you receive. ✨

Step Two: Create w/ YOUR Best Scenario in Mind

The technical step: Post consistently. At least once a week to see steady growth.

Get to know your Substack dashboard. Check in with your analytics. Book a Success call with yours truly. I can walk you through all those details.

To take full advantage of Substack’s network effect, post to Substack notes.

And I learned this rather recently— don’t include direct links to your articles in Substack notes. The algorithm deprioritizes notes with links.

Instead, treat Substack notes as its own form of mini-content.

Perhaps you pull some lines from your recent Substack posts and you paste them into notes. Maybe you even convert them to pretty graphics to catch people’s eyes.

Maybe you ask questions on Substack notes. Maybe you give out calls to connect with your ideal readers, or your next creative community.

By this point, we’ve probably all seen those “Dear Substack, please connect me to…” posts which have gone viral with 12k+ likes and such. If you haven’t yet, check out Substack notes and go connect with folks!

The embodiment practice: Some reflection + mindset work. It’s time to get out your journal and write by hand! Open that creative channel, y’all!

Here are your prompts: If your aim is to grow, how large do you want to grow?

If your aim is to be a full-time writer, what does your schedule look like? Where does writing on Substack currently fit into your life?

What inspires you and gets you writing? What slows down your writing?

Track each mindfully. Notice patterns. Seek more of what inspires you and set an intention to reduce inputs that slow your process. Take the necessary steps.

Change starts with a decision. You’ve made the right decision in taking the time to reflect on these questions.

Positive changes compound over time and with consistent effort. Keep at it.

You’ve got this!

Step 3: Balance Structure + Creative Freedom

Substack is the place where creative people gather for real, authentic exchange. It is the place where writers get to go deeper and become more expressive than traditional news media outlets have allowed.

There’s an authenticity to Substack that I don’t want us to lose. An authenticity worth protecting.

(Side note: I do see bots entering the platform, I do see regurgitated pinterest-y photos, and AI generated content. As a photographer and writer, I share from a place of authentic creativity. All my photography and writing is original. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this — how are you navigating the rise of AI-generated content on Substack? And who are the truly authentic writers I should connect with? Please share in the comments.)

That aside, Substack remains the best place on the internet where writers are creating on their own terms.

The key is finding that balance of structure and creative freedom. I started this publication in complete creative freedom. I started with posting once a month… and in four years, I have pivoted multiple times, and I now operate in a structure that allows me to post weekly, see consistent growth, and feel fulfilled in expressing my creativity.

So, here’s my formula to strike the balance — structure first, then creative flow.

The technical step: Set up structure where it matters, and allow freedom every where else that it is helpful.

Here are two key structures I like to have set up to support my consistent growth on Substack.

* Client Archetypes — Know Who You Are Writing For

Most of the popular advice for business owners is to identify their ideal client avatar— write for one person that you serve, basically. I found that difficult to narrow down to one type of ideal client, so I combined the concept of my ideal reader avatar with another concept my business coaches taught me, the four stages of buyer awareness.

Therefore, I use the structure of my four client archetypes — let me know if you want a deeper dive on this topic.

Ideal client avatar + four stages of awareness = my four client archetypes.

This way, I can speak to my readers at each stage of awareness, which in my business, is a natural cycle that we all move through.

This structure helps me know who I am speaking to and when I am speaking to them. Thereby, my content cycles through speaking to each of my four client archetypes. This gives me a natural cadence to move through when I am considering what to post next.

For example, this is the end of the month post and it speaks to my wise-woman reader archetype, the woman who is farthest along in her journey. She knows she wants more success on Substack, and she is here to get it!

However, in each of my posts, I also make sure to include some value to every reader archetype, even if that is weaving in some encouragement, some lightness, and referencing back to other posts.

As another example, my first post of the month is generally written towards my ‘youngest’ reader archetypes, the novices and the seekers.

I don’t subscribe to the belief that we all need to make a “content engine” that serves our business.

Rather, I like to be guided by my creativity and allow space for intuitive posting. My monthly structure allows for that creativity to flow within the cadence I have set out.

Each month makes its own kind of music.

* Monthly Cadence

The monthly cadence or ‘posting schedule’ helps me know what to expect and plan for each month. Yours may look different. Take what resonates and leave the rest.

Here’s the cadence that is serving me best this season:

Week 1: monthly themes + reflections post — priming the month

Week 2: free write post — this is maintaining that creative freedom for me to reflect on the monthly themes, share what is on my heart, and perhaps share a book update or two!

Week 3: Podcast interview with an expert guest — showcasing my interview skills + connected to a monthly theme

Week 4: Wrap the month on a lovely note with the Q+A post — you’re reading one of these now!

Structure provides the space for you to create within, it contains the movement, the flow, it holds your creative freedom gently and with care.

The embodiment practice: Spend a bit of time reflecting on how the energies of yin and yang are present in your life. Is there a right balance?

In Taoist philosophy, Yin represents the receptive container (key words: structure, stillness, rest), while Yang represents active flow (key words: flow, movement, transformation).

These two energies form a harmonious and dynamic loop where structure contains energy, and energy reshapes the structure.

You can check the balance of yin/ yang energy in these three key areas of your life:

In creativity, a daily ritual and/or guiding boundaries (Yin) provides your creativity the structure within which to brainstorm, innovate, and flow (Yang).

In exercise, a balance of strength training (Yang) with restorative practices like Yoga or meditation (Yin) encourages physical harmony. Your body needs the stimulation of strength training, and it needs gentle recovery.

In energy work (Qigong), settling and grounding (Yin) before initiating a movement (Yang) ensures that your movement is powerful. I also refer to this as “finding the desired feeling first,” in my birthday post linked here.

Optional Step 4 — Connect, connect, connect!

Substack has a strong network effect. The more you show up and connect here, the more this platform works for you.

So, use this network to find your readers and collaborators!

Connect with folks on notes! Host each other on your podcasts! Cross-post! Collaborate! I’d love to meet more of y’all, so please introduce yourselves in the comments + connect!

Here’s my intro:

If we haven’t met yet, hello, I am Sophia Claire and I am dedicated to co-creating my dream life with my handy tools of embodiment, self-love, and my faith to support it all. I previously worked as a national grants consultant, but I am working now to be a full-time writer and a bestselling author. My first novel is forthcoming.

Who do I serve?

I am passionate about encouraging young women through the developmental years, especially because I know that so many of the embodiment and self-love tools that I learned through my developmental years can serve them.

I am also grateful to serve healers, writers, and creatives who are farther along their healing journey and desire to connect in community. My offerings are always timely, and as a garden fairy myself, I offer wellness guidance that changes naturally with the seasons. 🧚🏻

I am also immensely grateful for the support of wise women in my life, and the way that these women continue to give back to their communities.

We all know that healing is not linear. I see “healing” more as an energy that we carry with us in our day-to-day.

Change is the only constant. I share embodiment practices so that we can respond in mature and/or informed and/or regulated ways to the new things that life presents us, or the old muck that comes up and needs to be processed, transmuted, and transformed.

Instead of reacting, we respond. with awareness.

This work is so valuable and impactful.

I promise, you reap dividends from spending time in this creative inner garden. You have your own, and I welcome you here into mine.

Draw all that you need from the wellspring of inspiration that I share here. ⛲️

Leave anything that does not serve. 🩵

Enter deeper into community if you feel called. ✨

To receive posts, subscribe here. Join hundreds of readers (soon to be thousands!) in Sophia’s inner garden to receive all the seasonal insights, creative inspiration, and embodiment practices that your heart desires.

Thanks for reading by Sophia Claire! This post is public so please share it with someone you know will love it. 💗

I hope this post was immensely helpful— to those growing on Substack, to those using their embodiment practices towards another goal, and those doing both at the same time!

As always, I’d love to hear what you think.

And if you have any follow-up questions, feel free to send them my way.

with warmth and sincerity,

Sophia

For our June podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Drew Edwards — a nationally recognized expert in behavioral medicine and addictive disease based in Jacksonville, Florida, and the founder of The Neurogenesis Project. Dr. Drew has been compiling research on depression, suicide, and mental health trends among young people in the US, and we cover those very important topics together today.

We talk about how mental health data can inform us, what solutions we can offer to mental health issues, and what genuine connection and belonging look like for the young people in our lives right now.

What we explore in this episode:

* What US mental health data shows for young Americans in recent years — including the statistic that 40% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2023

* The neuroscience of belonging: what actually happens in a young person’s brain and body when they feel like they truly belong somewhere

* The biology behind mental illnesses — and how treatment and intervention help support recovery

* What a genuinely nourishing social life looks like for young people — and the social skills we should be teaching and modeling right now

If this conversation stirred something in you, I’d love to hear about it.

And if you have a question you’d like me to address in my end-of-month Q&A post, please send it my way by June 26th. You can message me or drop questions in the comments below. I read every one.

warmly,Sophia 💗

Resources mentioned:

* The Neurogenesis Project (transitional research & clinical practice): neurogenesisproject.com

* Action Potential (brain health supplements): myactionpotential.com

Additional references shared by Dr. Drew Edwards:

* Tousignant et al. (1993) — Suicidal attempts and ideations among adolescents: the contribution of the father’s and mother’s care and of parental separation. Available via PubMed

* Gould et al. (1998) — Separation/divorce and child and adolescent completed suicide. Available via PubMed

* Sheftall et al. (2016) — Suicide in elementary school-aged children and early adolescents. Available via PubMed

* Ruch et al. (2021) — Characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide among children aged 5–11 years in the United States. Available via PubMed

I hope you are surrounded by flowers and warmth this May. This month has been one of blooming — unfolding with grace, trusting what is arriving, and preparing for the next season.

For May’s podcast episode, I had a joyful conversation with Jane Wildflowers. She’s an intuitive business coach, registered herbalist, yoga and Ayurveda educator, storyteller, and author of Superbloom.

She’s the friend I mentioned in this post who is starting her own Substack! You can also connect with Jane on Instagram at Jane Wildflowers.

For over 20 years, Jane built Wildflowers Farm from an open hayfield into a beloved wedding and event destination in Ontario rooted in herbalism, healing, and community. In August 2025, she lovingly passed stewardship of that land forward and stepped into what she now calls her Superbloom.

🌸 In nature, a superbloom is a rare wildflower event that happens after years of dormancy, exactly the right conditions, and the right timing. Jane has built her work around that image.

We discuss what it’s like to release something you built with your whole heart, how alignment actually feels in the body, and how you can give yourself permission to superbloom in any season— right now, wherever you are.

Finding the feeling. Following your joy. Holding the vision. Trusting divine timing. Experiencing fullness.

Find that warm feeling— whether it be a cup of tea or a walk in the sunshine, and settle in for this lovely conversation.

Send some love to a friend by sharing this post with them!

And please send me your questions for our end of May Q+A episode by May 25th.

xoxo,

Sophia

🌸 This garden is reader-supported and tended with love. Your support keeps it growing and gives you access to the full archive, every episode, and everything still to come. 🌸

I hope you are experiencing a lovely mid-point in your week and a lovely mid-May.

At this point in the month, I think it is nice to share a little recap for you to cover what has taken place in recent weeks on this publication, so that you can benefit from the reflections + synchronicities + lessons of this season while we are still in it, in case you have missed anything!

Also, resharing our April Q+A to my podcast page as well, so that it is distributed across Spotify, Apple Podcasts, etc. :)

Pick your player—

If you are an adventurer, the fool archetype at the start of your journey, seeking direction this month and looking to immerse yourself in the beauty of this season, this post is for you: May I, May? Themes, journal prompts, and your month of May activation from my heart to yours

If you are a mystic, experiencing positive transformations this season and looking for deeper understanding, here are two indications that you are reaching a higher consciousness.

If you are a sage, internally reflecting, feeling the need to refine how you operate and how you’d like to feel this spring, this post is for you: How are you doing everything this season?

If you are an artist, seeking some writing inspiration, look no further: Writing is like gardening.

And if you are magician, focusing in on the process details of your life currently, and you’d like to review what neuroscience and religion tell us about receiving miracles, here’s a post On Welcoming Miracles This Spring.

Please send your questions for our May Q+A episode by May 24th.

Thank you!

Sophia

The first Saturday of May, my husband took me on a date to the local Renaissance Faire. It was the first time either of us had gone a Ren Faire and we had a lovely time.

I enjoyed seeing folks so dressed up, fully playing into the whimsy of the occasion. I spoke with the Queen of the Land, and then the Queen of the Sea, and neither of them broke character.

The Faire truly gives participants permission for immersion in fantasy and whimsy. It’s so fun. And very fitting for the themes of this month.

This month is about allowing, giving ourselves permission to bloom into our truest forms. For me, I have experienced some significant shifts in understanding and in my self-expression. Some of these shifts have been occurring subconsciously, I am just starting to feel the internal pulses of these new awarenesses in my body now. I am welcoming in more calm as I finish my projects. I am instilling the beliefs in my mind and embodying confidence that it is already done— my bestseller status, my success as an author, my career as a speaker. I feel myself settling into stillness and peace as I practice holding the feelings of my wishes fulfilled.

In addition, some of these shifts have come with magical synchronicities in the physical world around me.

Here’s a story of an internal re-alignment that was foreshadowed by an external re-alignment in understanding.

The day after our magical visit to the Ren Faire, the first Sunday of May, I went on a golden evening walk. The sun shone through the trees, slanted, glittering on the freshly green grasses and leaves all around me. The wind shook the trees beautifully, all the leaves danced like fairy bells against the bright sky.

Near the end of this golden evening walk, I visited my elm tree.

For the better part of the last year, I have felt connected to this tree on Cape May avenue. I laid under her last summer. I edited my first round of my book manuscript under her branches. On my walks in the fall, I visited and asked her to help me step into my dream life. She always does, this kind tree.

Yet, this day, I learned that in one way, I was wrong about her.

I noticed these whirlybirds, like lightly red ornaments hanging down from her lovely leaves and long branches.

I took a photo and asked, what is this?

The response came, that these are the red samaras, aka seeds of the Red Maple tree.

But… I thought this was an elm tree. And I thought it was an elm tree for that long. Well, it is okay. I have learned something new today, and she was not offended. I said hello again, acknowledging her name, Maple.

I have noticed this month of May that old constructs have fallen away for me as new ones are taking their place.

I am grateful that these shifts are happening so naturally, so easily, I honestly love the ease and grace of this change this season. The early spring flowers have closed, fallen away, and the mid-spring flowers have taken their place. The cherry blossoms are still vibrant, and even so, they are beginning to fall, dotting the streets and grasses with their light confetti.

I picked the tulips in my yard for my end of April Q+A post, and it was so fun to have their company sitting in the glass frog on my table. They lasted quite a while, over a week. But now, they are gone and something else has taken their place.

In a similar way, for most of the last year, I was convinced that I was starting a movement here on Substack. I branded accordingly — Step Into Love. While this title still resonates with me in many ways, I see now that it does not fit for my Substack publication, which I want to come directly from me— my heart and my personality.

Therefore, on this same Sunday where I discovered that my elm tree is in fact, my maple tree, once I returned home from my walk, I spent a bit of time rebranding my Substack in a significant way.

I renamed my Substack from Step Into Love, and gave it all entirely over to me. It’s all under my name now.

Sophia Laettner Joubert. Nice to meet you, again.

This feels right for me now. Step Into Love I will save for a future title— whether it be a book, or a coaching program, or my movement or all of the above, I love it. I believe it is a powerful title I will use in the future and still reference on occasion here.

But here are the reasons why my name is the magnetic title of this publication.

With my name, I get to directly claim more aspects of my personality, experiences, stories, and all the valuable practices I seek to share with you here— including but not limited to, embodiment practices, spiritual practices, self-love practices which all fall under this umbrella of self-care, and also other things I am passionate about like maintaining healthy relationships, lifestyle, branding, entrepreneurship, and gardening.

There is always this through line of LOVE. Because love is my inspiration. Love is where these topics begin for me.

Step Into Love worked so well for me for so many months because I loved how practical it is. Step Into Love means to take an action, even if it is a small action to step back into love anytime you feel out of it. It’s an invitation to step back into alignment with love. It’s my version of the invitation by Marianne Williamson to Return to Love.

I like leaning into my name now for another reason— the movement is no longer the brand, rather my brand is me. And this me, she gets to lean into whimsy.

All the whimsy that she wants.

That’s why my Substack branding has changed and I’ve written new descriptions for our tiers to welcome you further into this world of whimsy I am creating here.

New publication description: Stories, practices, and grace from my heart to yours. This is a gathering space for those who fill their own cup first in order to better serve others. Welcome to my creative garden. Welcome to my wellspring of embodiment, wonder, and whimsy.

New tiers descriptions: This garden is open to everyone. Come as far in as you feel called.

🌱 Welcome to the Garden Gate (Free) — You are welcome at the garden gate. You can take in all that you need from here — the colors of each season, the fragrance of a hopeful life, the dreams of possibility. From here, you receive season reflections and prompts to support your embodiment of love and creativity. You hear, from the garden gate, the gatherings within the garden, the speakers, the conversations with magical thinkers. You send your questions over the gate and you receive answers in Q&As where nothing is off limits. You thrive in proximity to this living, lovely world.

🧚🏻 Welcome to the Sacred Garden ($5.55/month or $66/year) — You are welcome in the center of the sacred garden. You receive seasonal activations curated to your highest purpose, recorded and yours to bring home with you, your garden party favors. You have access to all areas of the garden, the new growths, and the old corners of my creative archive — every practice, every paid piece, every behind-the-scenes glimpse of my creative life. You thrive within our environment, growing in our community.

⛲️ Welcome to the Wellspring (Founding Member, $222/year) — You are welcome at the wellspring at the center of the garden. You have access to everything in the Sacred Garden, plus a quarterly inner circle meeting where your questions and visions are honored and amplified. You go above and beyond participating in this community, your contribution sustains it. Your presence waters everything that grows.

I hope you love these positive changes as much as I do. I am so grateful that you are along for the ride on this magical carousel we call life. This publication is a stop along the way and I hope it is one that always brightens your day.

The fact that these changes coincided with the death and rebirth cycle of the Scorpio full moon and my own personal bloodletting* was not lost on me.

*Whoops, is that an overshare? Lol, another thing that this Sophia gets to do, I guess!

I am so grateful for these synchronicities I have experienced this month of May— and we are only halfway through!— that show me I am on my aligned path.

I’d love to hear from you— what synchronicities have you experienced recently? And what from this post resonated with you?

I am wishing you an end to any worries that no longer serve you— just ask them to wash away. I am wishing you lighthearted joy and calm. I am wishing you gentle shifts and meaningful synchronicities in your life. I am wishing you a most magical continuation of May.

sincerely,

Sophia 🧚🏻

Liisa is a Finnish Canadian author, certified fiction and memoir book coach, and podcast host. Her second historical novel, Like Water for Weary Souls (House of Karhu, 2025), arrives this year, following her debut Sisu’s Winter War (Latitude 46 Publishing, 2022). She also brought her father’s story to life in Surviving Stutthof: My Father’s Memories Behind the Death Gate (Latitude 46, 2017), which was translated and published in Finland by Docendo and short-listed for a Northern Lit award.

In our 25-minute conversation, we explore:

* Her mission and work — How Liisa came to write historical fiction that honors forgotten stories and the resilience of the human spirit

* Sisu as creative fuel — The Finnish concept of sisu—a fierce, quiet determination rooted in clear values—and how this ancestral wisdom serves as both moral cornerstone and motivating force in her work

* How she receives clarity — The practice of listening deeply to what wants to be written, and how knowing what you believe and stand for gives stories the power to endure across generations

This conversation reminded me that the most enduring creative work comes from a place of deep clarity about what matters. When we know what we believe, what we stand for, we create from a wellspring that doesn’t run dry. Our values become the fuel that sustains us through every revision, every doubt, every long season of creation.

Connect with Liisa: liisakovalawomenwriting.substack.com

Join Me for a Conversation: Calling in Clarity is a podcast where I sit down with thought leaders, artists, and visionaries to explore how we receive clarity in our lives and work. I use these two questions as starting off points for our flowy conversations:

* What is your mission and your work, and how did you come to it?

* How do you receive clarity?

That’s it. No complicated format—just space for authentic conversation about the moments when we stop searching and start receiving.

I’d love to speak with you. If you’re a creator, coach, writer, or artist exploring clarity, intuition, or transformation in your work, message me. I’m open to podcast swaps and cross-posts, too—let’s amplify each other’s voices and share our wisdom with both communities.

If this conversation resonated with you, please share this post with someone who needs to hear it—a writer seeking their creative fuel, an artist searching for clarity, or anyone learning to trust what they believe.

with gratitude,Sophia

P.S. You’re Invited: Clarity Party Online

If this conversation sparked something in you—if you’re ready to call in your own clarity and step into 2026 with intention—I’d love to have you join me for Winter Solstice Clarity Party.

This is an intimate, live gathering where we’ll create space to release what’s been blocking you, get clear on what you truly want, and set powerful intentions for the new year.

When: Saturday, December 20th, 11am-12:30pm EST (90 powerful minutes)Where: Live on ZoomInvestment: $26 — perfect for setting up success in 2026!

We’ll blend guided practices, EFT tapping, journaling prompts, and community connection—everything you need to end this year with clarity and begin the next with momentum.

Get your ticket here. ✨

Spaces are limited to keep our circle intentional. I can’t wait to create this magic with you. ✨

These two questions from today’s guest, Carol Look, have the power to unlock everything you’ve been struggling to change.

Carol Look is a traditional psychotherapist, Founding EFT Master, world-renowned workshop presenter, and bestselling author of The Yes Code and Yes, Thank You. Known for her laser-like focus, Carol combines psychotherapist training with advanced applications of EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to help clients release limiting beliefs and emotional conflicts—so they can finally enjoy lives of exceptional success and fulfillment.

Carol has taught EFT workshops in England, Ireland, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Australia, and all over the United States. She’s frequently featured as an Energy Expert on summits and podcasts, and her work has transformed thousands of lives.

In this conversation, we explore:

* Carol’s mission and how she came to EFT

* How she receives clarity in her own life

* Why we sabotage ourselves right before breakthrough

* The two essential questions that reveal hidden blocks

* How to use EFT to release what’s keeping you stuck

Carol’s Books: I shared a book report on The Yes Code earlier this year, and I’m currently reading her second book, Yes, Thank You. Both are essential reading for anyone ready to release what’s blocking their path.

Join Carol in Person: The Success Breakthrough LIVE“

Ready to experience the power of EFT in a transformative live setting?

Carol Look and Sara Connell are co-hosting an intensive two-day workshop designed to help you break through the blocks that have been keeping you stuck—and finally step into the success and fulfillment you’ve been seeking.

What: The Success Breakthrough LIVEWhen: Friday & Saturday, January 30-31, 2026Where: The Benjamin Hotel, New York CityInvestment: $1,297 $997 (Early bird pricing until December 15th!)

What You’ll Experience:

* Hands-on EFT training with a Founding EFT Master

* Deep work on releasing limiting beliefs and emotional conflicts

* Identification of your hidden blocks to success

* Tools you can use for the rest of your life

This is a rare opportunity to work directly with Carol and experience the profound shifts that happen when you release what’s been holding you back.

Spaces are limited. Secure your spot at the early bird rate before December 15th.

Can’t make it to New York? Sign up for Carol’s newsletter to be the first to know about virtual workshops and future live events.

A final word: Carol Look is the real deal. She’s not just an EFT Master teacher—she lives it. Her clarity, her alignment, her commitment to helping others heal and break through is entirely genuine. I’m so grateful to know her and to see her example of what’s possible when we do the deep work to release limiting blocks.

If you watched or listened to this episode, I hope the EFT tapping we did together—releasing fears of being clear and fears of making mistakes— served you. These are such common blocks, and the beauty of EFT is that you can return to that tapping sequence anytime you need it.

I’d love to hear from you: What shifted for you during this conversation? Did you have any breakthroughs or insights? What came up when Carol asked, “What’s the upside of staying stuck?”

Drop your reflections in the comments—I read every single one. 💗

with so much love and clarity,Sophia

P.S. You’re Invited: Clarity Party Online

If this conversation sparked something in you—if you’re ready to call in your own clarity and step into 2026 with intention—I’d love to have you join me for Winter Solstice Clarity Party.

This is an intimate, live gathering where we’ll create space to release what’s been blocking you, get clear on what you truly want, and set powerful intentions for the new year.

When: Saturday, December 20th, 11am-12:30pm EST (90 powerful minutes)Where: Live on ZoomInvestment: $26 — perfect for setting up success in 2026!

We’ll blend guided practices, EFT tapping, journaling prompts, and community connection—everything you need to end this year with clarity and begin the next with momentum.

Get your ticket here. ✨

Spaces are limited to keep our circle intentional. I can’t wait to create this magic with you. ✨

In 2025, I continued writing my first book, began my second book, continued contract work, started speaking on stages, and launched my first coaching programs.

A lot can happen in a span of a year.

This is why I set clear intentions at the start of each year—to keep my actions aligned with what matters most.

I shared my 2024 and 2025 vision boards here—and looking back now, I can see exactly how those images became reality. This is what intention-setting does: it turns vision into action.

In 2025, I set a clear intention for my husband and I to visit both sides of my family—to connect more deeply with each other’s roots.

In September 2024, we visited his family in South Africa. In July 2025, we visited my mother’s family in Minnesota. Last week, we visited my father’s side of the family in Charlotte, NC for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was warm and lovely and brought to fruition the intention I had set at the beginning of the year. I was grateful to my family for recognizing and supporting my vision, and for all the action steps we took together to make it real.

This is the power of intention setting.

Not wishing. Not hoping. Not someday dreaming.

Intention setting is claiming a decision, making a choice, and then taking aligned actions to support that decision coming to reality.

Intention setting is a bridge between desire and reality.

When I set the intention to visit family in 2025, I wasn’t just planning trips. I was claiming a value: connection matters more than convenience. My family matters so much to me, so I chose to prioritize our presence over busy schedules.

Here’s what I’ve learned from setting intentions at the start of 2025: when you set an intention from a place of clarity and love, God and your support system conspire to make it real. Not because of magic, but because your intention becomes your north star. Every decision, every conversation, every choice begins to align with what you’ve claimed as important.

Clarity is magnetic.

When you know what matters, you stop wasting energy on what doesn’t. You stop second-guessing. You stop waiting for perfect conditions. You step into aligned action.

And the beautiful life you’ve been imagining? Starts shining in reality.

Here are 3 steps for setting intentions that actually manifest:

✨ 1. Get clear on the feeling, not just the outcome

When I set the intention to visit family, it wasn’t about checking a box. It was about the feeling of being together. That feeling guided every decision.

✨ 2. Write it down

There’s power in naming. I wrote: “In 2025, we will visit both families and create space for connection.” Not “I hope” or “I want to try.” We will.

✨3. Take the first small step

You don’t need the whole staircase. You need the next step. For me, that was opening a calendar and blocking off possible weeks. That’s it. One aligned action.

Intention setting isn’t about controlling outcomes. It’s about clarifying your direction and trusting the path. It’s about stepping into the reality that is calling to you.

It’s about choosing —

* love over fear

* presence over perfection

* aligned action over busy work.

Speaking of aligned actions… here’s an invitation for you:

✨❄️ You’re Invited to Winter Solstice Clarity Party ❄️✨

I know so many of you expressed interest in the in-person Clarity Party but couldn’t make December 13th. I heard you.

So I’m bringing this experience to you online—

Winter Solstice Clarity Party

* Saturday, December 20th

* 11:00am-12:30pm EST

* Reserve your spot here ($26 )

We’re gathering one day before the solstice so you can step into that sacred turning point with clarity and intention already set.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day and longest night of the year—the moment when light begins its return. It’s nature’s turning point, the perfect threshold between what was and what will be.

This 90-minute gathering includes:

* Guided intention-setting practices for 2026

* Embodied clarity techniques (nervous system regulation, grounding, presence)

* Solstice ritual to honor the year behind and call in the year ahead

This is for you if:

* You’re ending 2025 feeling overwhelmed and/or craving clarity

* You want to set intentions for 2026 that actually manifest

* You’re ready to bridge the gap between desire and reality

What you’ll leave with:

* A clear, written intention for 2026

* Embodied practices you can use all year

* The feeling of being ready—not rushed—for the year ahead

This is your investment in starting 2026 grounded, aligned, and clear.

We’ll close 2025 with intention. We’ll open 2026 with purpose.

I am honored to hold space for your clarity on this sacred turning point.

with love,

Sophia 🩵❄️✨

“Plant seeds of happiness, hope, success, and love; it will all come back to you in abundance. This is the law of nature.” — Steve Maraboli

If this resonates, please share.💗

Are you looking at the calendar thinking, “Well, 2025 didn’t go how I planned... I guess I’ll just wait for 2026 to start fresh?”

Here’s what I want you to know: It’s not too late for 2025. And it’s not too early for 2026.

In fact, right now—these final weeks of November and December—this is the most powerful window you have to:

✨ Round out your 2025 goals with aligned action and divine timing

✨ Get crystal clear on your vision for 2026

✨ Lay the groundwork NOW for 2026 success—so you’re not starting from scratch on January 1st

This isn’t about hustling or forcing. This is about intentional clarity. Sacred preparation. Planting seeds now that will bloom when the season shifts.

This moment is ripe for transformation. A sacred pause to release what no longer serves and plant powerful seeds of intention for what’s to come.

“What we plant in the soil of contemplation, we shall reap in the harvest of action.” — Meister Eckhart

I have a gift for you today—a free downloadable guide called Clarity by Christmas.

This guide will help you:

✨ Trust that what’s meant for you will arrive in divine timing

✨ Get clear on your 2026 vision with specificity and intention

✨ Take aligned action from a place of love, not fear

✨ Enter the new year already rooted in the frequency of your desires

I know you may not want another thing to read right now— I get it!— so I read the entire guide for you aloud in the video. I recorded the affirmations for you to listen to at your convenience. You can watch the video—reading the guide starts at 9 mins, affirmations start at 15 mins— and you can Download the free Clarity by Christmas guide here for reference whenever you need. ❤️

You can have Clarity by Christmas!

Use the Clarity by Christmas Guide these next 6 weeks to:

✨ Complete your 2025 goals with aligned action and grace

✨ Get crystal clear on your 2026 vision

✨ Enter the new year already rooted in your power

By the time January 1 arrives, you won’t be starting from zero—you’ll already be rooted in the frequency of your desires.

Energy states are not permanent. Stepping into love—and into your 2026 dream life—is always just one small choice away. You are powerful!

“She was the world and the heavens boiled down to a drop.” — Zora Neale Hurston, Their Eyes Were Watching God

✨ You are worthy. You are ready. You are clear. ✨

With love and unwavering belief in your power,

Sophia

P.S. After you download, I’d love to hear: What’s one goal you’re calling in by Christmas? Or what clarity have you received for your vision for 2026? Drop it in the comments—I read every single one.

P.S.S Interested in more posts like this? This is the 4th in my Dream Life Activator Series. You can access the previous activations here ✨

* Sunday, October 6th - Aries Full Moon: Courage to Dream Big

* Tuesday, October 21st - New Moon in Libra: Designing Your Beautiful Life

* Wednesday, November 5th - Full Moon in Taurus: Grounding Your Magic: From Vision to Reality

* Wednesday, November 19th - New Moon in Scorpio: Embracing Profound Transformation— Do you want Clarity by Christmas?

Subscribe to Step Into Love for weekly reflections on embodiment, self-love practices, and the tools to co-create your dream life—one sacred step at a time. ✨

This time invites you to open your hands and heart. To trust that when your soul’s readiness meets the perfect moment, your manifestations come to fruition.

How do we manifest with unusual speed and grace? With clarity and alignment.

Clarity and alignment are a powerful pairing. Clarity gifts the answers you seek. Alignment moves you in the fulfillment of your desires.

I speak more on how to receive clarity and receive aligned guidance in the video for this post, so I encourage you to watch and share it.

In summation, I will share that this is how manifestation happens with unusual speed and grace—not necessarily through force or strategy, but through alignment. When you pause to ask and open to receive, you create a clear channel between your desire and its fulfillment. Speed comes from removing resistance. Grace comes from trusting the path that unfolds. Portal days like 11/11 amplify this energy, but this practice of asking, opening, and receiving works any day and any time you choose to use practice it. 🩵✨

I’ve always loved creating in pairs. Attracting in pairs. Building in pairs.

There’s something about the symmetry, the balance, the doubled energy of two that feels welcoming to me. So, on this 11/11 portal day, I’m honoring this symmetry by offering you two invitations to step deeper into your power, your clarity, and your prosperity.

1. An Invitation to Align

Pray & Prosper

Sunday Nov. 30, Dec. 7, 14 & 21 | Time TBD based on participant availability | Virtual

A 4-week faith-centered immersion where prayer meets profit and devotion meets momentum. For entrepreneurs ready to blend spiritual practice with strategic business growth—clarifying your business vision for 2026, setting revenue intentions, and creating aligned action that honors your income and your divine calling. This business growth track is specifically tailored to the needs and desired outcomes of the participants in each cohort. Let’s prosper prayerfully and with purpose.

Join Pray & Prosper here 🩵

2. An Invitation to Clarity

Clarity Party: Integrate 2025, Vision 2026

Saturday, December 13th | 3-8pm | Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

An evening of transformation and beauty—gourmet 3-course meal, guided reflection coaching, vision boarding with sparkles and creative flow, music, and sound healing. Walk away with clarity, community, and a grounded vision for calling in your dream 2026.

Families Welcome: This is a beautiful, family-friendly evening. If you’d like to bring your children (under 15), they’re welcome for a $10 add-on ticket that includes kid-friendly portions of our 3-course dinner. I’d love to have the next generation of dreamers present as we vision 2026 together.

For Young Professionals (ages 15-30): I want this to be accessible to you as you’re building your lives and careers. Use discount code YP50 for 50% off your ticket.

Note: Private RSVP forms with entree selections and event location will be sent to ticket holders by December 1st. (Trust me, it’s one of the best healthy restaurants in the area and we’ll all love it!)

* Purchase Adult tickets here 🩵

* Purchase Kid tickets here ✨

Clarity comes when called—and sometimes it arrives through a friend. If you know someone seeking their vision for 2026, or an entrepreneur blending faith and business, please share this invitation.

With wishes for unusual speed and grace in your manifestations, ✨

Sophia

“Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” — John 16:24

Dear listener,

I’m delighted to share this conversation from Calling in Clarity—a podcast series exploring how we call in and receive clarity. ✨

In this episode, I spoke with Debra Ann Mumm about her transformational framework, Authentic RESET, and how we can remember who we are beneath the noise of conditioning and fear. Debra’s work bridges ancient wisdom, modern psychology, and the science of energy and awareness—reminding us that clarity isn’t something we find, it’s something we remember.

Debra Ann Mumm is the author and creator of Authentic RESET, a transformational framework that helps people reconnect with their authentic power—the inner clarity that arises when we stop performing and start being. Through her work as a speaker, writer, and creator, she guides others to remember their truth.

An artist at heart and educator by experience, Debra’s creative path naturally evolved into a deeper exploration of human truth and transformation. Her wisdom offers a powerful reminder that the answers we seek are already within us, waiting to be heard.

The conversation Debra shares is medicine for anyone feeling disconnected from their authentic self—a gentle invitation to stop performing and start remembering.

If you’ve ever felt called to shed conditioning and step into your authentic power, or if you’re curious about what it means to truly reset, this conversation is for you. I invite you to listen, reflect, and share this episode with anyone in your life who might be seeking their own path back to their true self. ✨

Additional Resources:

Debra’s Website

With gratitude for this clarity and this community, ✨

Sophia

Dear listener,

I’m thrilled to share our first episode of Calling in Clarity—a new podcast series exploring how we call in and receive clarity. ✨

For this first conversation, I spoke with Karen Richter about how she helps midlife women release stress, break free from “shoulds,” and rewild their lives to feel authentic, vibrant, and fully alive again. Her mission to help people reconnect deeply with nature and thus receive clarity truly resonated with me. In addition, we came to some clarity in our conversation about the differences between ‘fake it until you make it’ versus truly embodied confidence.

Karen Richter is the founder of Confident by Nature. She is a certified Forest Therapy guide, retreat leader, and women’s mentor. After decades in corporate leadership development and years of pouring herself into every role—mother, wife, daughter, friend, business owner—Karen discovered that the path to authentic living winds through the forest.

The wisdom Karen shares is medicine for our modern world—a gentle invitation to slow down and step outside.

If you’ve ever felt called to clarity in nature, or if you’re curious about what Forest Therapy can offer, this conversation is for you. I invite you to listen, reflect, and share this episode with anyone in your life who might be seeking their own path back to authenticity and aliveness.

Additional Resources:

Karen mentioned her upcoming Costa Rica retreat this November. Spaces are filling quickly, so if you feel called to this immersive experience, now is the time to explore and reserve your spot. Learn more and register here.

Karen is also gifting our community a Forest of Calm immersive meditation as a free resource. This beautiful offering invites you into the healing presence of nature, even from wherever you are. Download your free Forest of Calm meditation here.

With gratitude for this clarity and this community,

Sophia

— Ralph Waldo Emerson, compiled from Society and Solitude (1870) and a letter to his daughter Ellen, as assembled in Charles K. Field’s Cheerio’s Book of Days (1940).

I’ve seen too many people abandon their dreams simply because the “timing didn’t seem right.” There seems to be a cultural narrative to simply “coast” through the holidays and plan to start fresh in January.

Instead, what if this final quarter of 2025 is meant to be the most transformative three months of your year?

Consider this: As we enter the quieter seasons of fall and winter, we open ourselves to receive divine guidance on our deepest dreams and take aligned action to bring them to life before year’s end. In addition, we lay the sacred groundwork for all the beauty and abundance we’re calling into 2026.

Today, I am offering a solution: The Dream Life Collective - a community activator I’m hosting here on Substack for passionate people ready to accomplish great things in Q4 2025. We have an abundance of time in this quarter and now you have the support and accountability you’ve been seeking.

This is a collective space where we activate your dream life using the powerful tools of brain science, embodiment, affirmation, and community. This is a transformational container where your dreams don’t just survive, they thrive.

This is your invitation to co-create magic. This community is here for you, ready to activate your dream life together. ✨

With love and unwavering belief in your dreams,Sophia

P.S. Rabbit rabbit! 🐇🐇

Thanks for reading Step into love with Sophia! This post is public so feel free to share it.

My Three Essential Strategies from 3 Years of Writing on Substack

1. Allow Your Expression to Evolve

Creative evolution is refinement.

“Every failure brings with it the seed of an equivalent success” — Napoleon Hill

2. Create Consistently & Share Genuine Value

Consistency. Care. Authenticity.

3. Keep Your Creative Channel Open

Any way that you can support yourself to keep your creative channel open, do it. Consider leaning into community. Community feeds inspiration.

If you found this helpful, please share this post with a friend who needs to hear these strategies. Sometimes one insight at the right moment changes everything.

Drop a comment below - Which strategy resonates most with you? What questions do you have about growing on Substack? I personally respond to every comment and love coaching writers through their journey.

“Since you cannot do good to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.” - St. Augustine

Wishing you a lovely week.

sincerely,

Sophia

In the video above, I share three reflection points for more love this week:

* Reflection on Ezra Pound quote

* Reflection on “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” format for considering things that you can give to yourself and others this week. If You Give A Mouse [someone] A Cookie [a form of love]....

* Affirmations to create ripple effects of love, positive impact, and abundance.

Four factors which statistically indicate greater peace, which Marianne Williamson shared in a post “Proactively Creating Peace” this morning.

* Greater economic opportunities for women

* Greater educational opportunities for children

* Diminishment of violence towards women

* Amelioration of unnecessary human suffering

What is one small step that you can take today to support these initiatives? How can you be generous? How can you be a peacemaker?

Oh and one more thing, you’re invited to this month’s artist salon!

An Invitation: Sophia's Studio Artist Salon in Cape May

Saturday, September 27, 2025 | 2-3:30 PM Ostara's Coffee House, Cape May, New Jersey

As we step from summer's abundance into autumn's release, I invite you to an artist salon in Cape May. This salon is a chance to step out from behind our screens and into real, embodied creative community.

This isn't a workshop or a class. It's a sanctuary. A place where your creative spirit can breathe, stretch, and find its voice among kindred souls.

What to Expect: We'll begin with a brief show + tell (5 minutes to share, 5 minutes for loving witness), though you're equally welcome to simply listen and let the creative energy of others inspire you. This is a space for all levels of comfort and all stages of creative journey.

Whether you bring a poem, a sketch, a song, a story, or simply your beautiful presence—you belong here.

To Join Us: Please reach out via Substack to secure your spot.

If you're feeling called to join us in Cape May on September 27th, please don't hesitate. These gatherings have a way of attracting exactly who needs to be there. Please RSVP with me so I can know how many people to expect!

Wishing you a beautiful, dreamy, and productive week! 🩵

sincerely,

Sophia

Step into love with Sophia is a dreamy space for magic makers. Subscribe to join and support our creative community!

―Maya Angelou

Exciting news, loves! 🌟

I've officially launched Grant Clarity with Sophia - a dedicated space where I demystify the federal grant process, scale impact, and answer your funding questions with thorough research and strategic insights.

The Mission: To make grant funding accessible and clear for organizations ready to expand their impact. No jargon, no gatekeeping - just clarity.

Whether you're a nonprofit leader, community organizer, or simply curious about how federal funding works, this space is for you. I share insights from years in the grants world and connect with readers when full-service support is needed.

Ready to step into funding clarity? Subscribe here.

And please share this opportunity with anyone in your network working to create positive change - together we can fund more good in the world! ✨

I hope you enjoyed these lessons from Maya Angelou and this little update from my end. I am wishing you a lovely week! 💗

sincerely,

Sophia

Step into love with Sophia is supportive space. To receive new posts and support my work, sign up as a free or paid subscriber. 💗

So, I share here with you dear reader, some of my rippling, shiny reflections from this weekend. And I would love to hear yours. ✨

Affirmations from this eclipse:

🩵 Nature restores me.

🩵 It is natural for me to receive love.

🩵 I open to receive love.

An invitation to connect with nature

Reflection for Pisces Eclipse 07 September

Shake it off! You got this, babe!

I wish you a lovely start to your week. ✨

sincerely,

Sophia

P.S. This publication is undergoing a rebranding as previously alluded to in this post. I will let you know when the Grant Clarity with Sophia Substack is up and running. I hope you love these changes as much as I do!

Step into love with Sophia is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, sign up as a free or paid subscriber.

It’s shed and scale September!

*Cue transformative snake energy* 🐍

I invite you to join + share this transformative vortex for love + positive change. 🩵🌀✨

I have shed limiting patterns. I am scaling my impact.💗

I have shed conflict. I am scaling harmony in my relationships.💗

I have shed fear. I am scaling love. 💗

Please share in the comments, what are you shedding + releasing? What are you stepping into + scaling?

I encourage you— take one small step today that will scale your dream life.

with love and good intention,

Sophia

This is a reader-supported space for positive transformation. To stay in the loop, please sign up as a free or paid subscriber.

Dear Lovely Readers,

Today, I am grateful to share this conversation with Chris Schumerth on Miscellaneous Sophia. Following our discussion on his Substack, This Human Experience posted on March 3rd, I had the privilege of interviewing Chris here.

In this 30-minute episode, Chris and I reference the tragic event that unexpectedly connected our lives thirteen years ago. We discuss how writing became a bridge between us, and delve into our individual creative processes. The conversation reveals how writing has served as a healing tool, helping us process difficult emotions in healthier ways.

We examine the profound nature of human experience, distinguishing between thoughtful responses versus reactive behaviors. Our discussion also touches on reframing discipline as devotion, and we share insights about our current writing projects.

This insightful conversation offers a window into how tragedy can evolve into connection, growth, and understanding. You can watch the video or listen to the audio directly on the Substack app.

As always, I hope that you take what serves you and leave what doesn’t. 💗

with love,

Sophia

P.S. If you’d like to read some further thoughts on this 3/6/12 anniversary, including some poetry of mine, please see this post from two years ago.

Here is the template image and our images we made for how we see each other:

Q+A: In our upcoming podcasts, we are happy to answer questions from listeners and/or fellow sisters, family members, you name it! If you have a question for us, feel free to message me or leave a comment on this post. :)

We hope that you love it! 💗

Xoxo,

Sophia + Sommer

Fair Warning: Y’all, this one is emotional. We delve into some deep feelings and we are vulnerable and honest about what we have learned through some of our relationship dynamics. If you don’t want to see any tears today, this one may not be for you! 💗

Taurus Full Moon journal prompts by Arcanum LA are here.

Q+A: In our upcoming podcasts, we are happy to answer questions from listeners and/or fellow sisters, family members, you name it! If you have a question for us, feel free to message me or leave a comment on this post. :)

We hope that you love it! 💗

Xoxo,

Sophia + Sommer

As Sophia mentioned, here’s a correct + quick overview of the astrological associations with days of the week and their planetary rulers:

Sunday (Sun) - Ruled by the Sun, Sunday is associated with vitality, self-expression, and creativity. It's ideal for self-reflection, joy, and setting intentions for the week.

Monday (Moon) - Ruled by the Moon, Monday represents emotions, intuition, and nurturing. It’s a good day for rest, self-care, and connecting with loved ones.

Tuesday (Mars) - Mars rules Tuesday, bringing energy, action, and drive. This day is well-suited for tackling challenges, working on projects, and initiating new goals.

Wednesday (Mercury) - Mercury's influence makes Wednesday a day for communication, learning, and planning. It's ideal for writing, studying, and handling details or paperwork.

Thursday (Jupiter) - Jupiter rules Thursday, associated with growth, abundance, and expansion. It’s a great day for pursuing personal goals, spiritual pursuits, and generosity.

Friday (Venus) - Ruled by Venus, Friday is about love, harmony, and beauty. It’s a good day for socializing, indulging in the arts, and connecting with others.

Saturday (Saturn) - Saturn’s influence makes Saturday a day for discipline, structure, and long-term planning. It's perfect for organizing, working on responsibilities, and self-discipline.

Q+A: In our upcoming podcasts, we are happy to answer questions from listeners and/or fellow sisters, family members, you name it! If you have a question for us, feel free to message me or leave a comment on this post. :)

We hope that you love it! 💗

Xoxo,

Sophia + Sommer

Miscellaneous Sophia is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Video mentioned: How I Finally got my hair to grow long and healthy

I convinced my sweet sister, Sommer Rhae, to catch up with me on video calls for a new podcast concept. This way, we can add more structure to our weekly and sometimes daily calls + texts to stay in touch, with the added benefit of creating some light + fun entertainment for listeners! 🌞

For this first podcast, please give us some grace as we deal with Zoom technicalities and timing. Our conversation did get cut off perfectly at the end of a sentence because we are still sorting out the timing with filming on Zoom. I promise we will have this figured out next time for a more standard sign off, but this energetic episode is very enjoyable, even with the quick end!

Q+A: In our upcoming podcasts, we are happy to answer questions from listeners and/or fellow sisters, family members, you name it! If you have a question for us, feel free to message me or leave a comment on this post. :)

We hope that you love it! 💗

Xoxo,

Sophia + Sommer

Miscellaneous Sophia is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Readings:

* True Love by Helen Steiner Rice

* Romans 12

* 1 Corinthians 13

Also, sharing here my previous reflection on our wedding ceremony.

This podcast is on love and sharing love - so if you like, please share it with a loved one and tell them that you’re thinking of them!

True Love

by Helen Steiner Rice

True love is a sacred flame That burns eternally, And none can dim its special glow Or change its destiny.True love speaks in tender tones And hears with gentle ear, True love gives with open heart And true love conquers fear.True love makes no harsh demands It neither rules nor binds, And true love holds with gentle hands The hearts that it entwines.

Merci,

In this podcast post, I mark my 27th birthday and enter a new chapter of my life with discussion on key lessons to guard my heart and a summary of ways that I use sound as a source of healing. I start with a verse that has long inspired me: Proverbs 4:23.

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” - NIV

“Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” - ESV

I end with a channeled poem written yesterday, that served as a nice culmination of these thoughts.

Hear how the jewels of experience sing

You are stepping into your dream life stepping into what you want meeting your desires - your dreams on the threshold - of presence, and present expectation. The gift is here for you to hold and cherish. You are dancing into - the enchanted forest with your lover and your shared love, joy, and bliss. You are entering and guarding and keeping your state of bliss You are holding your state of bliss You are guarding your heart for it holds the wellspring of life. Your heart is a deep well which is tapped into the river and the ocean of life, from which all things flow your heart is a deep well of groundwater channeling from the ocean of life from which all things grow and take their essence, the spirit of creation. You are belonging to this ebb and flow of life, of creation You make a part of this beauty, you observe and cherish and hold parts of this beauty. Your life is a deep well of experience which you can draw from each time you pull up, you are a new-experienced person You are made new – observing your past experience, turning it in your hand, rubbing out the ugliness, the hatred, the pain, the hurt, the evil that may be there – You scrub it out and wash it clean until you are left with a token of experience, a gift, a lesson to share, a KNOWING for yourself - You survived this and you can show others the way. Hatred carries these stones of experience on his back and he delights in the filthy burden he casts as stones upon others. Hatred cannot pull up experience from the well. His well is filled to the top with rocks piled up that he does not polish or tend to, all he can do is pick up these over-used ammunitions. His water is stagnant and dirty. His is not the wellspring of life. Your wellspring benefits from a windfall. You accept a state of grace. Your present is untamed beauty. Your past no longer haunts you, it visits with kind, ghostly shadows only when it needs to and it does not frighten you. Your future is a sparkling pool of clean water in a green field in the healthy heart of the land, which the well of your heart reaches to and promises. Your presence is a knowing regard into the well of your life Your presence carries with it the gifts of magnification Your heart is magnanimous and free The handle is stable, the bucket is light, the water rises as easily as breath enters your lungs - All you must do is hold - Hold fast to your heart, hold on, hold with. Your younger self may meet you at the well, Your future self, your child, your lover, your friend, May meet you at the well And all you must do is hold together, marvel, love this gift of experience, this treasured jewel from the depths of creation this once-ugly thing turned into knowledge that is alive and glittering. Hold – the dreams of your life call you from the depths - Hear – how many of those jewels sing out to you - ….. And guide you along as touchstones on your path.

I provide reflection on this beautiful Poem: Questions About Angels by Billy Collins. I first give gratitude to the presence of holy spirit and angelic forces in my life, then I provide an analysis of the poem and its historical reference of ‘angels dancing on the head of a pin’. In the second half, I speak of some cultural references I have of angels and discuss some of the calls for spiritual + angelic support that I find myself utilizing often in prayer. Finally, I end with an example of how I send love to someone in my life by anchoring my prayer in a place that has a lot of meaning to us.

Many questions about angels come up in this post - and I think it is a lovely topic! So I am curious, what are your questions about angels? What are your favorite cultural references of angels?

Other little angels in my life that I forgot to mention in the podcast - my kittens!

Here’s one of them, Kitt, out in the yard last week.

Video caption: Me: trying to pick one creative project

Good thing I don’t have to pick one creative project! I am free to play around like my kitten. My publication is called Miscellaneous Sophia for this reason.

Anyone else relate? So many interests! ✨

Thanks for reading + listening. Thanks for being here. 💗

sincerely,

Thank you for reading Miscellaneous Sophia . This post is public so feel free to share it.

Practices, routines, and beliefs that support me including, but not limited to:

* morning pages 🤍

* gratitude group chat with friends 💛

* matcha ritual 💚

* meditation and prayer 💗

* self-care routines, including skin care and bathing 💧

* making time for my interests + passions, including cooking, baking, guitar 🤎

* wedding planning 💗

* language learning 💛

* gardening 💚

* movement + time in nature 🩵

I’d love to have a discussion on this in the comments, tell me - what are the practices and beliefs that support you? How do you embody grace?

This first podcast revamp post is a long one, so I hope you enjoy it!

References:

* I accidentally read the title wrong in the podcast, but the book is: Rules for a Knight by Ethan Hawke

* Previous Q+A Podcast Post (August 2023): I’ve been counting grains of salt

* Post on shower as a cleansing ritual: Lessons From Water and Earth

If this resonates with you, I encourage you to comment, perhaps add thoughts to what I’ve written, share with a friend, and generally expand the beautiful energy that we find here.

sincerely,

Miscellaneous Sophia is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Listen to the podcast to hear a reading of the poem and listen to my first Q&A post. :)

I’ve been watering the plants -

creating a fine mist for my morning. 

thanking the water which lets itself ‘fall’, take place, rather and then, peacefully -

evaporating from the ground, rises

adding to the handsome humidity.

I’ve been occupying my body and my mind - 

balancing the movement between waking and sleeping states -

seeking clarity. 

I’ve been tracking the animals that cross my path - 

a baby shark, three dolphins, hundreds of dragonflies - 

a silver tarpon leapt clear out of the water. 

I’ve been balancing the scales -

between opinions and what they mean -

between preferences and caring. 

I’ve been counting grains of salt - 

and days of weeks - 

until I see you again. 

* with love *

Merci for being here. I hope this space provides inspiration and support.

sincerely,

In celebration of the holiday, let’s just say that anyone can be a Queen for the day.

Here’s how to become the Queen of April Fool’s Day:

* Prepare now! Prepare early as you can. Plan your jokes in advance. As of publishing, you have t-minus-2 days to start planning your jokes. Or 367 days until next year...

* Listen to what people want.

* Choose the right moment. Plan your delivery. Strike when the iron is hot. Often, this is first thing in the morning, before anyone realizes what day it is, before caffeine...

* Strike in succession. This really strikes on the immediacy and heightens the joke.

* The Queen’s top tip: Tell everyone that you aren’t doing anything for April Fool’s this year. Throw them off the track or at least attempt to.

* Along that line, avoid reminders about April Fool’s Day so that people forget the date. Turns out, this post may spoil that affect for many readers. Maybe y’all will also forget in three days time.

Check out the podcast episode for more tips from Lisa, prank ideas, and laughs.

And Happy April Fool’s Day!

xx,

Sophia

Thank you for reading Lisa Sophia. This post is public so feel free to share it.

Note:

* Centering on the breath - focus on deep inhalations and exhalations.

* The power of repetition. The power of personal mantras.

* “I/you/we” structure for speaking to all aspects of the self.

* Giving yourself the time and care needed.

* Embodying love and sending love.

Key phrases from the meditation:

* I am safe. You are safe. We are safe.

* I am protected. You are protected. We are protected.

* I am loved. You are loved. We are loved.

* I am safe, protected, and loved. You are safe, protected, and loved. We are safe, protected, and loved.

* I am loved. I give love. I received love. I am love.

* You are loved. You give love. You received love. You are love.

* We are loved. We give love. We received love. We are love.

Music:

* Rosa Luxembourgo - Finn Lenoir

* Biome - Ever so Blue