Laura Distin

Has cancer touched your life or someone you love?

As a Student Visionary Candidate, our daughter has been working to raise funds for Blood Cancer United, and she is just short of reaching her fundraising goal. Watching her step outside her comfort zone to advocate for families affected by blood cancers has been incredibly meaningful for our family.

I would love to show her what happens when people come together — when a community shows up united for something bigger than themselves.

If you’ve been impacted by cancer in any way and feel moved to help, we would be deeply grateful for your support today. Every contribution brings her one step closer to her goal and helps fund critical support and research for those affected.

👉 https://pages.lls.org/svoy/ga/svoyatlanta26/pdistin

Thank you for helping us show her the power of people showing up for one another.

Phoebe's Student Visionaries of the Year Fundraiser Visionaries look to the future—and see infinite possibility. They challenge the status quo—and make the impossible possible. They boldly imagine a better world – and lead the charge to create it. Blood Cancer United was built on that same vision - of a better world - one without blood cancers....

Leadership isn’t tested when things go right — it’s revealed in how we respond when they don’t.

Watching the Stranger Things documentary last night, one moment stood out. A set wasn’t working the way it was designed. On camera, it just didn’t look right. Shawn Levy, the director, acknowledged he could have reacted emotionally, but instead moved calmly into problem-solving — adjusting in-camera and relying on post-production where needed — because his job is to ensure the audience never sees the mistake.

That’s leadership in action. Not because nothing went wrong, but because of how he managed himself — and, in turn, the system and its people.

This is emotional fluency:

• Steadying the system when things wobble
• Creating space for others to do their best work
• Absorbing disruption so the customer or client never misses a beat

Watching Shawn Levy absorb disruption on set reinforced this idea: leadership is not about reacting to every imperfection. It’s about holding the narrative, steadying the system, and keeping the audience engaged — inside the company and out.

(Pictures I took during our road trip to Hawkins, I mean, Jackson, Georgia 😉)

Trust is the new first handshake. ✨
The brands that win in 2026 will be the ones people trust first.
Link in my bio to read my full story about why connection, not selling, is the new strategy.

Marketing explains. Storytelling connects.

Link in my bio, and in my story, for this Part 1 of 2 blog series to get you thinking differently in 2026.

I’m a pop culture fan so naturally I am a fan of this show. Of course I watched the Stranger Things finale yesterday midday in a packed theater with my family, and honestly—it was a moment. Go to the link in my bio or in my stories to find out what I thought of it.

This life is but a v***r. Don’t miss out on yours because you were too concerned about the noise. When you wake up and instead of saying “one more day,” you say “one day less,” your mindset and to-do list shift.

One change. Change it.

Yesterday, I was watching the Brooks XC Championships with our family of runners.

Near the end of the race, one athlete made her move — the final trip up the hill. She broke away from second and third place, held her form, sustained her pace, and never looked back.

Afterward, one of the announcers summed it up perfectly:

“Win the hill, win the race.”

That line stuck with me.
Because the hill is rarely the glamorous part.
It’s where legs burn.
Where doubt creeps in.
Where momentum is hardest to maintain.

And in work and in life, the “hill” looks a lot like:
The tough conversation you don’t want to have
The unsexy, behind-the-scenes work no one applauds
The moment when quitting would be easier than staying steady

Anyone can look strong on the flat.
Resilience is built on the incline.
Winning the hill doesn’t mean sprinting.
It means keeping your form when it hurts.
Trusting your training.
And committing to forward progress when the outcome isn’t guaranteed yet.

That’s how races are won.
That’s how careers are built.
That’s when lives are changed.
One hill at a time.


Photo by

Throwback to my little retail shop — a dream built with heart, late nights, and a whole lot of belief in community. ✨

We create these spaces for you. For the community we love, for the chance to serve, and for the joy that comes every time someone walks through the door.

And not to mention — it’s important for us as humans to hold on to the tactile, sensory magic of shopping in a real store. The smells, the music, the textures, the way each item is displayed with intention… it awakens something in us that online shopping simply can’t replicate.

When you shop small, you’re doing more than buying a product — you’re validating someone’s idea, supporting their courage, and strengthening your own community. Small business owners pour their time, talent, and heart into creating spaces meant to make your world a little brighter.

So this season, if you can, step into that local shop, say hello, and choose small. It matters more than you know. 🖤✨

The storm fades, and what’s left is the part of you that learned to shine anyway.

🎸 To artists who loathe social media:
I get it. The pressure to post, share, engage… it can feel like a second job — and not the fun kind.
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Back in the day it really was a grind. Up-and-coming bands spent days driving from venue to venue, sleeping in vans, knocking on doors, charming house managers, hoping the headliner didn’t show so they could step in and play. Doors slammed in their faces. Nights went by wondering if anyone would ever notice them. The hustle was relentless, exhausting, and often invisible.

Now? It’s loud out there. Everyone and anyone can make content. The noise is overwhelming. But here’s the thing: you can reach people from wherever you are, connect directly with your fans, and show your work on your own terms. I want you to learn to embrace it in a positive way — it actually puts so much more control back into your hands as an artist.

You get to choose what’s important. You get to decide how and when to show up. And compared to the bands back in the day, it can actually save you time — because you’re being more intentional than ever instead of taking shots in the dark.

Pros and cons? Of course. But perspective matters. What feels like pressure is also an opportunity: to be seen, to grow your audience, and to build your story without waiting for a venue to take a chance on you.

Your art deserves an audience — and today, social media is your new stage.

📸 by me