I Said "Yes" To My Dream

I just slipped off my Minnie ears and put down my Dole whip to write to you, Reader...

I cannot believe I'm able to say it:

I'm in DISNEY WORLD!

No, I'm not a Disney adult (though if you are, you do you boo! Life's too short!)

But it's one of the places in the world where I feel the most connected to my dad, Norm. (My dad and BFF, Norm, passed away in May 2022 from AML leukemia, in case you're new here.)

Growing up, the only vacation I ever went on with my dad was to Disney World.

We went multiple times per year, actually! (he definitely would NOT go multiple times per year now. Have you seen these Disney prices?! I don't know how people afford it!!)

Before my dad got leukemia in 2018, we had been talking about taking a trip down memory lane to visit the mouse house.

Then he got sick.

I thought once his treatment stabilized, we'd go.

But with chemo treatments every 3 weeks, and daily labs and blood transfusions in between... there was no chance.

As his leukemia wore on, he became more and more neutropenic -- making it extremely risky for him to even eat bagged salad, let alone someone's leftover snot on the Monorail.

Then came COVID... and the rest is history.

He died before we ever got to go.

I've this dream on my heart to go to Disney to reconnect with him ever since he died. I miss him so badly that it hurts somewhere deep within my belly -- a place that feels painfully close, yet lightyears away.

Yet instead of saying 'yes' to this dream I've had...

I judged myself for it. I talked myself out of it. I kept pushing it off.

"I'm not a child... I don't need to go to Disney World... especially if I go alone. Isn't that just... weird?"

But in honor of 2026 being my 'entrepreneur gap year' and letting myself play more:

I woke up one day in early January, struck by a lightning bolt of decision.

By the end of the day, my flights were booked, park hopper passes secured, and I felt my belly flutter the way it would when the elevator in Hollywood Tower drops.

And now I'm here.

Every single thing reminds me of him. The wafts of waffle cone as I stroll down Main Street. The trash cans, that are somehow never dirty. The music during the light show.

Everything is completely different.

Everything here at Disney, but also every single thing in my life.

Yet my heart feels this love like it's the most familiar thing I've ever known.

I think this is going to be a really hard week.

It's also going to be magical.

But what the heck does any of this have to do with you building an online business?

We spend a lot of time judging ourselves for our dreams.

Maybe yours is to start a business.

Or to switch up your niche and talk about something else.

To become "Reader -- the go-to person for ___." The first person everyone thinks of when they think of your niche.

To have a podcast that millions of people download and write to you saying, "that episode you did changed my life."

No one is coming to make these dreams happen for us.

They're never going to feel less silly or out of reach than they do now.

The only way you'll ever know if dreams come true...

is to go.

Follow me on Instagram to see what I'm up to in Disney!

But this isn't the only major news I have for you today. You'll have to scroll down to the links 🔗 section below to see the major news I’ve got below...

Before you go, submit a question you want me to tackle in a future issue of Sam's Sidebar or my podcast, On Your Terms®️ ⤵️

​Send me a video, voice note, or text→​
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I've been video chatting with the people who replied last week -- and it feels like we get to FaceTime. It's super fun :)

🧚 OK, Mickey's calling. He said I’ve spent my entire life being an adult. It’s time to be a kid for a few days.

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🎙️ NEW EPISODE You Might Need *this* (Not a Break) When I set out to make 2026 an “entrepreneur gap year,” it wasn’t because I just needed to sleep more… I craved a different type of rest. I’m breaking down the 6 types of rest we actually need and helping you figure out which one you’re craving—so you can stop trying to fix burnout with the wrong tool. 🎧 Listen here→ Epi 277. The 6 Types of Rest (And Why Sleep Isn't Enough)

🔗 Links You'll Love

💸 DREAMS DO COME TRUE: I can't believe I finally get to tell you... I’m on Tori Dunlap's (HerFirst100K) podcast, Financial Feminist, today!! Listen to my episode on Financial Feminist→ Apple, Spotify, Website​

and then hit "reply" and let me know if you're freaking out as much as I am!!!

📝 COPY CAMP: If you’ve been here for a bit, you know I always say: the #1 investment you can make in yourself as a biz owner, is to get better at writing copy. You need to write SO much as an online biz owner. And you need to write in a way that grab’s your ideal client’s attention.

Take my friend Marisa Corcoran’s LIVE 3-day Copy Camp program (FREE!). She’s a go-to copywriter in the biz, and she’s about to teach you how to up your copy skills. Sign Up ($0)→ (affiliate link)

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🤳 ANTI-SOCIAL RESET: My friend Holly Marie Haynes is hosting a 3-day live, working challenge where she will help you reset how you attract clients—without relying on social media, chasing algorithms, or adding more content to your plate. Grab your seat ($27)→ (affiliate link)

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PS. Maybe you can’t jet off to Disney (or don’t even want to…) — but what’s a little something you CAN do for yourself this week that feels even a teeny bit indulgent? I can’t wait to hear.

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