I could carry on with Cycle 6 of my LIFECYCLE series this week, then finish next week the grand crescendo of Cycle 7 to give this series a tidy ending. However, something is happening in my life right now that I’d rather tell you about.
I’ve realised how much effort I’ve been putting into making myself “fit”. It reminds me of the Bill Hicks marketing angle skit.
Yes, it’s a ridiculous admission from someone who calls her publication Feral Founder, but here we are.
It’s called growth.
For five weeks, I showed up here and wrote about the cycles of my life, hoping to show you, dear reader, the power of doing the same for yourself in cycles of seven. Then things went a little quiet. I travelled to the heartland of the USA for Rosh Hashanah, life started ‘life-ing’ and my publishing rhythm was impacted. I am still here in the US as I write this.
A few of you have chosen to become paid subscribers to Feral Founder. Thank you! That’s a real decision to support something that I’m creating, and I take it seriously.
Those early subscriptions, the conversations I’ve been having, and the things that people respond to are all giving me something to think about. What are people connecting with? What do they want more of? And what, exactly, am I asking of myself?
I am about the truth. And the truth is I have had to ask myself: can I put my whole heart into the thing I’m asking people to support?
Building the publication around ADHD founders made sense. I have spent 27 years in technology. I’ve built several businesses. I have ADHD, though it’s not something that is a big deal to me. I don’t play the victim card; it’s simply a fact of how my brain works and my state of being. I could explain, quite logically, why I should be writing for ADHD founders.
All of that experience is real. It’s all a part of me.
However, I kept having to talk myself into making it the centre of everything I wanted to say.
Yes, I’m here to solve real problems. I want to build something useful. I’ve spent years trying to find the right audience for the LIFECYCLE 7 framework. Somewhere in that process, I started treating myself as another thing to adjust until the whole proposition made sense.
Writing these first five pieces has helped me to notice that. Looking back at my own life made me question what I was choosing for the next part of it.
The much bigger learning for me is understanding where my self-efficacy, inbuilt motivation, and consistency lie. What do I already commit to without needing anything else to incentivise me?
Fitness.
Nobody has to sell me on taking care of my body. I want to train. I enjoy challenging myself. I care about feeling strong, being healthy and looking good.
I’m 43, and yes, I want to get stronger, healthier and hotter as I get older.
I love myself. I like putting the work in, and I’m curious about what I am capable of. I want to help other women discover what they’re capable of too.
My faith is equally personal. God, Torah, the One New Man Covenant, the teachings of Yeshua - Jesus - the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, and the way I put those beliefs into practice matter deeply to me. I could talk about these things all day.
The more honestly I look at what I care about and the needs of my audience, the clearer the direction becomes.
MIND + BODY + SPIRIT.
How we think, build discipline and change our patterns. How we train, eat, care for our bodies and nurture our spiritual lives, living through challenge and triumph with conviction.
Especially for women who are transitioning into a new life phase. That strangely odd place of 35+. I know one thing for sure: we want to feel strong, look good and take an active part in deciding what comes next. Women who already care about themselves and are willing to do the work, who would value some company and guidance along the way.
If that speaks to you, you’re welcome here.
I’m now studying with ISSA to become a certified personal trainer and nutritionist. I’m preparing to relaunch my YouTube channel around these areas, with new videos planned for this November. And yes, this Substack will develop alongside that.
Here, I want to write about what I’m learning and putting into practice: the mindset behind commitment and consistency, the work of caring for ourselves, the questions I’m asking about faith and how we live.
I’m excited about it. I want to study it, do it, talk about it and share it. That tells me something.
And the name? Feral Founder is staying. I AM the Feral Founder.
I still believe your business reflects you: your habits, your decisions, your energy and your values. MIND + BODY + SPIRIT is the personal operating system I bring to everything I build. That connection has always mattered to me, and I’m going to explore it through what I’m actually living and learning.
If you’re a founder, there is still plenty here for you. You’re also welcome if you’ve never started a business in your life. The invitation is to take yourself seriously enough to put the work in—to consciously choose how you show up today in mind, body and spirit.
Changing direction this early feels slightly odd but I’d rather do it now because forcing myself to carry on with something I can only give half my heart to would feel awful.
I’m grateful the Lord has blessed me with the room to try different things, to learn about myself and find my feet. And thank you to everyone who has read this far and continues to support me on this journey. We are allowed to take what we learn seriously and act on it.
So yes, this is a shameless pivot.
I’m going into this next phase with my whole heart.
Yallah, let’s go!
~ RAYA
