I've been circling something for eight months.

Saying it out loud. Writing it down. Nodding along when other people confirmed it. "Yeah, I'm definitely not a solopreneur. I work better with others. Collaboration is my model."

And then doing absolutely nothing about it.

Because here's the thing about knowing something and actually committing to it: they're not the same thing. Not even close.

I knew I needed community. I knew Joy Prompt Club couldn't live in a Slack ghost town where everything older than 90 days disappeared (thanks, free plan). I knew midlife women needed a place to ask questions, play with AI, and not feel judged.

But I kept searching. Circle? Mighty Networks? Skool? Kajabi? Every platform felt like I'd have to compromise the vision to make it work. So I kept looking. Kept "researching." Kept telling myself I'd figure it out.

Translation: I was in my own way.

Last week, my IndeCollective A Team said: "What about Heartbeat?"

And something clicked.

Not because Heartbeat.chat is perfect. Because I was finally ready to stop researching and start committing.

Cyber Monday pricing showed up. I put the money down. Joy Prompt Club has a real home now.

And suddenly? Everything shifted.

Emily Worden and I locked in our AI + Job Seeking course. Kate Sargent and I recorded our Executive AI program for leaders. People started showing up with ideas for podcasts, products, collaborations.

Not because I got smarter or figured something out.

Because I finally stopped trying to do it right and started trusting that doing it at all was the point.

Here's what I realized: I've always been this way.

Twenty years ago, I fantasized about living alone. Whole place to myself. Total freedom.

And every time I actually had that? Depression. Destructive behavior. Spiral city.

I'm better with people. In teams. Jamming with musicians. Singing in choirs. Creating with collaborators.

I don't do well alone. But alone time? That's different. Alone time isn't lonely. It's recharging so I can show up for the people I'm building with.

This business was never going to be a solo thing. I knew that eight months ago.

But knowing and committing? Different.

This week, I committed. And the universe said: "Finally. Here's everyone who's been waiting for you to get out of your own way."

So here's what I'm learning:

Stop trying to find the right thing. Start trusting that you'll know it when you stop overthinking it.

Stop talking about what you're going to do. Start doing it badly, messily, imperfectly.

Stop waiting to be ready. Start committing anyway.

The trying IS the figuring out.

You used to follow curiosity without asking permission.

Before someone taught you that moving forward required approval. That speaking up needed justification. That taking risks meant you were reckless, not brave.

Somewhere along the way, you learned to wait. To research. To gather more information. To make sure it was the right choice before you made any choice at all.

But here's what you're remembering now:

That voice asking "are you sure?" isn't wisdom. It's learned caution.

The part of you that just moves? That commits without knowing if it's right? That acts because curiosity pulled you forward?

That part never left. You just forgot you were allowed to listen to it.

You don't need permission to trust yourself.

You never did.

Aging out of f*cks: The neuroscience edition

This article blew my everloving mind. It felt like the author had been living in my skull and driving around in my body for the last couple of years. It perfectly explains why I've had to tell people I'm a feral feminist in my 50s when so much of my life was spent making sure everyone was happy.

Build things with zero tech experience

Appy is one of many tools out there right now for building things when you have ZERO tech experience, a skill with words, and a desire to make your life easier. I actually built a cool little agent pretty easily with this one.

Dance moves at my actual speed

These moves are much more my speed than any TikTok dance challenge. The fact that I can actually walk and listen to music at the same time is only through years of practice.

Partner of the week

Turns out newsletters don't pay for themselves. Who knew? This week's partner helps keep the lights on – and their work is legitimately useful:

With Lindy, you can build AI agents and apps simply by describing what you want, like:

"Create a booking platform for my business."
"Automate my sales outreach."

From inbound lead qualification to customer support, Lindy has tons of agents to streamline your workflows.

Get $20 Worth of Free Credits

AI Starter Pack for People Who Hate Tech

Research mode is officially over.

You've been circling AI for months - maybe years - wondering if you're too late, too old, too not-techy-enough to figure this out.

Here's the truth: You don't need to learn AI. You need to use it.

This starter pack gives you 3 tools (all free), 3 copy-paste prompts (for real situations), and permission to stop overthinking and just start.

No jargon. No tech bro energy. No 47-step tutorials.

Just the essentials so you can actually do something today.

When you've been circling a decision for way too long and research mode has become procrastination mode.

Role

You are a direct friend who cuts through my overthinking.

Objective

Help me stop researching and actually decide.

Context

I've been researching: [what you're stuck on]

For: [how long you've been circling]

My real fear is: [the actual thing stopping you]

Output

Tell me what I already know I should do. Then ask me one question: what am I really afraid will happen if I just choose?

Why this works: You're not gathering more information. You're avoiding the decision. This prompt calls you on it and forces you to name the real fear - which is usually the thing you need to face to move forward.

💡 Remember: If the answer lets you off the hook or feels too gentle, push back. Say "stop being nice, what do I actually need to hear?" ChatGPT doesn't get offended. Make it useful, not comfortable.

✨ Try it in ChatGPT (free version works great):

🗓 Tuesday, December 9th · 12 PM CST / 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET

Feeling behind on AI? You're not. You just haven't had a chance to practice.

In this 60-minute live session, we'll turn "too much" into "I've got this." No jargon. No overwhelm. Just calm, practical confidence - and prompts you can actually use the same day.

You'll learn:

Includes replay access + 25-Prompt Pack + ROCO Quick-Reference PDF.

💜 Know someone drowning in tech overwhelm?

Send them this link. It’s a $30 transformation from panic to confidence - and yes, they’ll thank you later.

If you’re still trading time for money, there is a better way.

On December 10 (1–2pm CT), IndeCollective is teaching a free workshop on how to productize your expertise – so you can:

✔️ Serve your best-fit clients
✔️ Solve high-value, “painkiller” problems
✔️ Build solutions you can deliver repeatedly
✔️ And grow your income and impact without adding more hours

This Productization Playbook has been one of the biggest unlocks in my business – and I’m excited Sam Lee is teaching it publicly for the first time.

👉 Register here: https://indecollective.net/productization-workshop

You’ll also get a free 4-Week Productization Challenge to start 2026 on strong footing.

After months of searching, Joy Prompt Club finally has a permanent home - a real platform where midlife women can connect, ask questions, play with AI, and learn without judgment.

I'm bringing in beta testers this week (along with the Founder's Cohort members who earned lifetime access this summer) to help shape it before opening the doors wider.

If you want in on the beta round, hit reply and let me know. I'm looking for honest feedback, not perfection.

📅 Thursday, December 18th @ 10:00 AM CST

Emily Worden and I are teaming up again for a webinar on using AI in your job search. More details coming soon - stay tuned.

The difference between knowing and doing is just doing it.

Stop researching. Stop circling. Stop waiting for the perfect moment.

Commit messy. The universe shows up after you move.

💜

Take care of yourself, take care of each other,

Deb

P.S. Forward this to someone who's been "researching options" for way too long. Sometimes you just need to pick one and go.