Ending February with Gratitude, Courage, and a Little Minnesota Sunshine

January was heavy. As an entrepreneur in Minnesota, I will tell you honestly, it was one of the darker months I’ve experienced in a long time. After a busy holiday season in 2025, my body was still tired. It had not fully recovered. And then January came with stress, uncertainty, and pain I wasn’t fully prepared to carry.

What a life we live in the 21st century. Sometimes I tell my customers at Namaste Brows and Boutique that our generation will have so many stories to share when we are sitting in a nursing home someday.

In January, I had to pivot. Not just in business but in mindset. Instead of asking, “How do I survive this month?” I started asking, “How do I make each day count?” February is my birthday month. I decided I would not let heaviness steal it from me. I made a plan: Make every day special. Find small joys daily. Create moments of connection. At Namaste Brows and Boutique, we hosted two simple community activities each day and space for people to come, feel love, and just be. Years ago, I worked as an Activities Director for seniors. That experience came back to me this month. I remembered that joy does not have to be expensive or grand. It just has to be intentional.

The first two weeks, we made cards for seniors and anyone in the community who needed encouragement. On February 12th, 125 roses were delivered through Wish of a Lifetime, and with the help of family and friends, we distributed them to five senior locations on Valentines day. This is our second year serving as a Cupid Crew, and it reminded me that love multiplies when shared. On February 4th, we took dinner and gifts to spend time with teenage moms. Thank you to everyone who donated and made it possible.

Earlier in the month, a friend invited me to celebrate her birthday at Game Show Studio in Roseville at Rosedale Mall and I laughed in a way I hadn’t in a long time. I am sharing this because I want to encourage you to do something you have never done, it is worth it. I attended a yoga and sound therapy session at Blaine Health and Wellness with 30 other women. It felt like permission to breathe.

Professionally, January was quiet. Very quiet. Threading appointments slowed. Wholesale responses were delayed. I questioned many things. But February shifted. We heard back from 2 partners. The gift shop at Shakopee Regional Hospital reached out. The team from the Minneapolis Institute of Art not only responded, they offered to come to our store and personally shop our spring and summer collections for the MIA Gift Shop. I am deeply touched. People are thoughtful. People are kind.

Valentine’s Day brought customers back in for threading appointments. It felt hopeful again.

This month I also gathered courage to show up in larger spaces:

• Networking with Wish of a Lifetime in St. Paul• The Educational Forum hosted by Best Prep at the Minneapolis Convention Center• The Downtown Business Council meeting at The Armory in Minneapolis• The Bridgewater Bank networking breakfast• The “Know Your Rights” educational session hosted by Rice & Larpenteur Alliance. Each space reminded me that community matters, especially in uncertain times.

And I want to say something very clearly: we are not doing this alone.

There were days when the store felt quiet, but friends showed up, not just to shop, but to sit, talk, encourage, and remind me that this space matters. Thank you, Carolyn. Thank you, Seth. Your presence meant more than you know. Sometimes support is not loud. It is simply showing up.

Personally, one of the hardest decisions I made earlier this year was pulling back from some activities out of fear. As a mother, that was painful. My daughter would ask every day after school if she could go to the gym. Eventually, I realized I could not let fear make decisions for us.

So, I chose courage. I took my kids back to The Cellar Gym, where they’ve trained in martial arts for three years.

Sometimes resilience looks like reopening your calendar. Sometimes it looks like walking back into a gym. Sometimes it looks like unlocking your store doors again with hope.

We live in uncertain times. That is real. But we also live in a time where small acts of courage still matter.

In Minnesota, even a little sunshine changes the entire day. I am grateful for every bit of light this month brought.

As we step into March, I am recommitting to regular store hours, to being present for my clients, and to supporting the entrepreneurs I serve through the Metropolitan Consortium of Community Developers (MCCD). I am choosing consistency. I am choosing faith. I am choosing action.

If this season has felt heavy for you too, please hear this:

Do what is best for you and your family. Protect your peace. Take care of your body. Find one small joy each day. Be safe. Be wise. Be brave in the ways that matter most to you.

We cannot control everything happening around us. But we can control how we show up.

February reminded me that even after a dark January, there is still light. And sometimes that light is simply the decision to keep going.

With gratitude,

Jeena

Namaste Brows and Boutique