Someone Always Has To Go First
A quiet moment on my Tennessee porch watching the first tree change colors turned into a powerful lesson on courage and creating space for new growth.
A season of change
The email was simple — a gentle reminder as summer slips away and fall tiptoes in:
Spend some quiet time outside. Reflect on what you want to keep in your life and what you’re ready to let go of — maybe for good, maybe just for a season.
So I did.
I sat on my front porch in Middle Tennessee, watching Tony mow the fields. Out in our pasture, one tree caught my attention. She’s always the first to change. While every other tree clung to its lush, summer green, patches of her leaves had already turned a warm yellow-orange.
Someone always has to go first.
It’s August. The real fall colors are still months away. But there she was, ahead of schedule, quietly letting go.
Every so often, a breeze would pick up, and I’d watch her leaves drift to the ground. Then stillness. Minutes later, another gust. The other trees swayed in the wind, waving at each other, but she — she released more.
I wondered… maybe she’s older than the others. Maybe she’s tired of holding on to heavy, vibrant leaves she no longer needs. Maybe she’s showing the others the way — demonstrating the courage to change before it’s expected.
Because change is rarely easy, and almost never popular.
The Courage to Go First
It reminded me of a moment years ago in the military. I had just promoted to Chief Master Sergeant — the top rank in my career field. I had dreamed for years about switching career paths, a move most in my position would never make. The chance of approval? Slim.
When I got the news of my promotion, a mentor asked me, “Are you ready to make the change?”
I knew that saying yes would disappoint people I respected. Staying would please them — but not me.
So I said yes.
It lit me up. It stretched me. It scared me. And yes, I lost mentors I thought would be in my corner forever. But I gained new ones. I learned to release resentment. And I realized sometimes you have to be the first tree — even if it means standing out, even if it means letting go before anyone else is ready.
This Season Now
Lately, I feel that same pull. I’m shifting how I live, how I run my business, how I show up for myself, my clients, and my husband — especially with his upcoming surgeries and recovery.
And just like those leaves, some people in my life are quietly drifting away. Not everyone understands. Some may cheer quietly from the sidelines, but not everyone will stand beside me in the open.
It’s beautiful. It’s scary. And nothing is certain. But here’s what I do know: if I don’t follow what excites me, I will live with regret.
I’m not abandoning what was or what is. I’m simply creating room for new growth — the way a tree drops its leaves and, come spring, grows not just fresh leaves but new branches. Some branches fall away entirely to make space for what’s next.
That’s what I want — for me, for Tony, for my clients. I want to help people drop what no longer serves them, nourish themselves, and create space for new dreams to grow. Nutrition, habits, supplements, peptides — they’re not magic bullets, but they are powerful tools. And they can be part of the support system that carries you through your own season of change.
Maybe this is your season to go first.
Maybe it’s time to drop your leaves.
Wanna Go Deeper?
If you’re in your own season of change and ready to drop the “leaves” that no longer serve you, my Thrive Together 12-week coaching program can help you:
Make sustainable nutrition shifts with a strong focus on anti-inflammatory eating
Incorporate key supplements and peptides that support you
Upgrade your lifestyle so it supports your goals
Build habits with accountability that actually sticks
Create lasting energy, confidence, and joy
This blog is just the beginning.
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