Real Talk…

In an online world full of highlight reels, let’s get real and dive into the authentic, unfiltered realities of entrepreneurship and being a founder. Here are some behind-the-scenes musings and reflections from my past week… ⬇️

Yes, I made $20,000 while vacationing in the French Riviera…

Hellooo from foggy London again! I’m back from my Euro sister trip, and I’m so grateful I carved out the time to do something truly important to me. The flexibility and "freedom" that come with entrepreneurship were a huge reason I pursued this path, and it was incredibly rewarding to experience that firsthand.

I mentioned in my newsletter a few weeks ago that taking this trip was a big deal—January is one of my busiest months. Clients are fired up with "new year" momentum, seeking resources, mentorship, and consulting to start or scale their businesses. Typically, I’m deep in sales and client support.

But I challenged myself to make it work. My sister is moving to SF for the next four years, which means we’ll only see each other a handful of times every year. I wanted to spend time with her—but I also wanted to continue supporting my clients and ensure I wasn’t missing out on sales opportunities.

Sooo this email subject line isn’t clickbait—I secured $20,000 in new client contracts while vacationing in the French Riviera. But let’s be real: that didn’t happen overnight.

One of the bigger contracts came from a founder I started talking to in early January (before I went on vacation). But because I had streamlined templates and processes in place, closing the deal while on vacation was as simple as sending a contract and onboarding materials while my sister was showering one night.

The other client? She already trusted me because of all the free content I put out on Recloseted’s YouTube channel and my personal YouTube channel. That trust made closing her an easy and quick process—again, because my business is set up with the right systems in place.

I wholeheartedly believe you can build a business that sustains your lifestyle, bank account, and the planet if you're intentional about it. Laying the groundwork—strategy, systems, and processes—takes time, but once it's in place, you're golden.

I feel incredibly grateful to have spent half of January travelling while still generating sales. But let’s be clear (and this is the part people omit in their “highlight reels”) — it took me 5+ years of trial and error to get here.

So if you want a business that doesn’t take over your life but still allows you to be present for what matters (whether that’s family, travel, or personal goals) — you need to set yourself up for success!

I want you to learn from my mistakes so I’m hosting a free weekly IG Live series every Thursday at 9am PT / 12pm ET / 5pm BT in February to share my secrets on How to Sustainably Scale Your Business! Here’s what I’m covering:

• Feb 6: Setting You and Your Business Up for Success

  We’ll set goals, align your strategy, and create a plan that makes 2025 your best year yet.

• Feb 13: Sustainable Product Strategies

  How to create offers that sell without burning you out.

• Feb 20: Sustainable Sales Strategies

  No more rollercoaster income! Let’s talk about consistency and cash flow.

• Feb 27: Sustainable Marketing Strategies

  Learn how to market smarter, not harder, and enjoy showing up.

Got topic requests or questions? Reply to this email or DM me—I want this to be valuable for YOU 🤍

In the meantime, here’s a video on How to Achieve Consistent High-Revenue Months 👀

Restarting My Podcast…

One of the things I love about unplugging while travelling? The creativity and ideas that flow when I step back. I’m endlessly inspired by nature, European architecture, delicious food, beautiful paintings, and cute cafe branding. (You can see some of my recent travel highlights here and here).

During my trip, I felt a strong pull to restart my podcast. As you may know, I ran Recloseted Radio for 5+ years, with 200+ episodes. But as I pivoted my business last year, I felt like I had said everything I needed to say about growing a sustainable fashion brand.

Now, I want to broaden the conversation to building a sustainable business that supports your lifestyle, finances, and values.

Initially, I planned to start fresh with a brand-new podcast. But after talking it through with friends, listeners, and my mastermind group, I’ve decided to revamp Recloseted Radio instead.

I still stand by all the content I’ve previously put out—but I’m ready to explore new topics. Right now, I’m working through the logistics (new name? new branding? which YouTube channel to host it on?), but I wanted to bring you behind the scenes because I know many of you are considering launching or reviving a podcast, too.

One thing I’m mindful of: the podcast space is so saturated. I don’t want to add more noise—I want this to be thoughtful, valuable, and strategic.

If you have topic suggestions, format ideas, or feedback, hit reply and let me know! I’d love your input 🤍 

Real Business Updates

Let’s skip the fluff and get straight to actionable business insights that spark inspiration, ignite creativity, and solve problems. Check out some interesting trends and insights I found this week... ⬇️

The Questionable Meta Updates…

For founders relying on social media for business growth, recent Meta changes are… well, unsettling. ICYMI, Zuckerberg announced that Meta will no longer fact-check posts, instead relying on "community notes." Additionally, leaked training manuals revealed that deeply harmful language will now be allowed to remain on the platform.

For values-driven founders, this raises a dilemma: Do you stay? Does leaving hurt your business? How do you navigate this?

Personally, I’m taking a "wait and see" approach. I’ve diversified my presence across platforms (this newsletter, YouTube, etc.), and honestly, this lit a fire under me to restart my podcast as a more independent platform.

For deeper analysis, I found this Search Engine podcast episode insightful—it helped me understand how we got here (though I don’t agree with Zuckerberg’s actions).

A Cheeky OOH Ad I Enjoyed…

On a lighter note, the former brand marketer in me loved this billboard I saw on Hatch’s TikTok. Nowadays, it can be so easy to brush off traditional marketing channels and say they don’t work or the ROI isn’t there, but if you can be cheeky and creative, your marketing will always pay off.

Real Self-Care…

Sustainable success can only happen if you take care of yourself. Self-care is not selfish — it’s necessary. Here are some self-care tools to recharge and stay balanced this week... ⬇️

Self-Care Challenge: A Fresh Start

January was a whirlwind of travel for me, so I never really got into a "new year routine"—which is why February is my new January! This month, I’m focusing on locking in—prioritizing work, training for my half-marathon (!!!), and reconnecting with myself. My challenge this week? Get back into a routine that works for me.

If you need a reset, too, I encourage you to start fresh this week—because you can always start again.

Tag me @selinajho on IG if you’re taking on this challenge—I’d love to cheer you on! 🤍

Journal Prompt…

What are you holding yourself back from?