SIDE NOTES

Welcome to Side Notes, a collection of essays, excerpts, and reflections shaped by two decades of building things from the ground up. These entries pull from the margins of business, creativity, reinvention, and everyday life. The parts we often overlook but always learn from.

Side Notes has been a great way for me to keep my mind active and grounded in writing while I work on my first book, Unfinished Business: The Art of Reinvention. A collection of humor-tinged lessons from life, twenty years in business, and what reinvention in my forties has actually looked like in real time.

You’ll find moments of humor, clarity, nostalgia, and insight. The hope is that somewhere in the pages, you find a moment of recognition, a shift in perspective, or simply a reminder that you’re not alone in the humor and complexity of it all.

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Soup, Salad & Business Strategy: Why I Can't Portion Food (or Workload) Correctly
Entreprenuership RaeAnne Conat Entreprenuership RaeAnne Conat

Soup, Salad & Business Strategy: Why I Can't Portion Food (or Workload) Correctly

It’s the weekend, which means it’s time for random thoughts. Today’s deep reflection? Why do I make enough soup to feed an entire rescue team and enough salad to deeply regret my life choices? If you've ever made an entire vat of soup when you meant to make two servings—or stored a sad, soggy bag of lettuce in the fridge knowing full well you’ll never eat it—this one’s for you.

And because I can’t help myself, yes—this somehow still ties back to business.

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Burnout: The Office Christmas Party Hookup You Regret

Burnout: The Office Christmas Party Hookup You Regret

You swore you’d pace yourself, but next thing you know, the drinks were flowing, Eddie from Accounting was looking weirdly good, and now you can’t walk past his desk without reliving your poor life choices. That’s burnout. It sneaks up on you the same way—seemingly harmless at first, until suddenly, you’re stuck in a commitment you can’t back out of, questioning every life decision that led you here.

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Work Ethic: The Skill That Builds Everything (And Why It Matters)

Work Ethic: The Skill That Builds Everything (And Why It Matters)

The universe told me to take a break. My work ethic? She laughed, crossed her arms, and said, ‘That’s adorable, now get to work.’ This is what happens when you try to slow down after two decades of hustle, and why learning to balance ambition with rest is crucial.

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