What I’m Simplifying This Year (In Business and Life)

The start of a new year always feels like a pause button for me—just a moment to take a breath and look around.

For our family, the New Year doesn’t come with pressure to overhaul everything overnight. Instead, my brother, sister-in-law, husband, and I sit down and talk through what we hope to work toward in the year ahead. Not resolutions. Not rigid rules. Just intentions.

Some we’ll hit. Some we won’t. And that’s okay.

What matters most is that we revisit them, talk about them honestly, and keep each other gently accountable throughout the year.

The Pillars We Come Back To

Each year, we organize our goals around a few core pillars:

• Spiritual
• Fitness
• Educational
• Family
• Career
• Social
• Financial

Not every pillar gets the same attention every year—and that’s intentional. Energy shifts. Priorities change.

This year, I’m leaning heavily into simplifying within each one.

What That Looks Like for Me This Year

Without sharing every detail, here’s the general direction I’m heading:

Spiritual: Creating more quiet moments and continuing to spend time in nature. And eventually completing my own personal misogi of camping overnight by myself 😧

Fitness: Moving my body consistently and gently. Showing up counts—even if I’m late (like the mommy-and-me fitness class I arrived at 30 minutes after it started… oops).

Educational: Learning one new skill. I have my eye on NAK Sewing’s Stitch by Stitch, a 6-hour entry-level workshop.

Family: Protecting our time, since it’s so limited right now. Letting go of the guilt when everything isn’t perfectly balanced. Bringing back dates with my husband—even if that means mornings or daytime, since sleep is precious in this season.

Career: Streamlining, refining, and focusing on what truly serves the brand. Letting go of what drains more than it gives.

Social: Asking at least one friend each month to go on an outing or come over to the house. Continuing to attend the Arizona Correspondence Society ☺️

Financial: Setting budget aside for home improvement projects and investing in larger-scale soapmaking equipment.

None of these are about perfection. They’re about direction.

How This Is Showing Up in Magnolia Street Soap Mill

This same mindset is shaping the business in a big way this year.

You’ll see:

• Less about showcasing products for the sake of it, and more about listening, connecting, and sharing how these everyday essentials support real routines and real needs.
• A clearer focus on fewer, better offerings—rooted in creating everyday essentials that quietly become part of people’s routines.
• Subtle changes that reflect growth without losing the heart of the brand.

I’m quietly working behind the scenes with a local Tucson design studio on a brand refresh—something that’s honestly years overdue. When we began, I created our logo in the free version of Canva and used a color close to Tiffany Blue for the background. Earlier this year, I updated our soap band labels because I couldn’t stand seeing the logo anymore—but I knew a bigger change was coming when the time was right.

I’m proud to say that the increase in sales this year made that next step possible. You all are making it possible. I’m incredibly grateful to each and every customer.

My goal moving forward is simple: to continue reinvesting in the business and to be just 1% better each day.

An Invitation for You

I’d love to know...

Do you set intentions or goals for the year?

If you do, what pillars guide you? And if you don’t, what are you hoping to feel more of this year?

If you feel like sharing, you’re always welcome to reply to an email or send a message. I'd love to know more about your journey.

Here’s to a year built on grace, consistency, and showing up—however we can.

With love and gratitude,

Elisa